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IB nj T a ai w 

OF A LETTER, 

FROM THE 

PRESBYTERY OF CIMLLICOTHE, 

TO THE 

PRESBYTERY OF MISSISSIPPI, 
. ON THE SUBJECT OF SLAVERY. 

BY REV. JAMES SMYLIE, A. M. 

•3 Member of the Amite Presbytery. 



QUEM DeUS VULT PERDERfi, "PkiVS DfeM^Wfif 



nooDVILLE.MI: 

PRINTED BY \VM. A. NORKIS AND CO. 
1836. 



XNTRODUGTZON. 



IN presenting the following Review to the public, the author was not entirely, 
or mainly, influenced by a desire or hope to correct the views of the Chillicothe 
Presbytery. He hoped the pubUcation would be of essential service to others, as 
well as to the Presbytery. 

From his intercourse with religious societies of all denominations, in Mississippi 
and Louisiana, he was aware that the abolition maxim, viz: that slavery is in itself 
sinful, had gained on, and entwmed i'^self among the religious and conscientious 
scrupli 8 of many m the community, so far as not only to render them unhappy, but 
to draw off the attention from the great and important duty of a householder to his 
houstholfl. The eye of the mind, resting on slavery itstlf as a corrupt fountain, 
from which, of necessity, nothing hut corrupt streams could flow, was incessantly 
enij'.loyed in search of some plan, by which, witli^ safety, the fountain could, m some 
future time, be entirely dried up; never reflecting, or dreaming, that slavery, ni itself 
considered, was an innoxious i elation, and that the whole error rested in the neglect 
of the relative duties oi the relation. 

If there be a consciousness of guilt, resting on the mind, it is all the same, as 
to the ( ft'ct, whether the. conscience is, or is not, right. Although the word of God 
alone ought to be the guide of conscience; yet, it is not always the case — Hence, 
conscientious scruples, sometimes, exist for neglecting to do that which the word of 
God condemns. 

The Bornean who neglects to kill his father, and to eat him with his dates, when 
he lias become old, is sorely tortUied by the wringings of a guilty conscience, when 
his fillial tenderness and sympathy have gained the ascendency over his apprehended 
duty of killing his parent. In like manner, many a slaveholder, whose conscit^nce 
is .aided, not by the word of God, but by the doctrines of men, is often sufl-ring 
the lashes of a guilty conscience, ev;n when he renders to his slave "that which is 
ji'st anl equal," according to the scriptures, simply because he does not emancipate 
his slave, irrespective of the benefit or injury done by such an act. 

"How beautiful upon the mountains," in the apprehension of the reviewer, "would 
be the feet of him that would bring" to the Bornean "the glad tidings" that hie 
conduct, in spanng the life of his tender and affectionate parent, was no sin. It if 



'( 4 ) 

trjp, that the messenger would prostrate that part of the Eomcan's religion, whicL 
rcijiiunl liiiii to kill aiul eat his I'athei, and whicii had "grown with his iirowth, and 
Stn ni^thened with his streiij^th:" It is, also, tqually true, that the death ol tiiat part 
Ot" liis religion, would be the delightful life of his iilial enjovments. Instead of the 
paintul and unnatural operation of suddenly, or <2,radually, cutting his parent's 
throat, in obedience to the commands of a misinformed eonscience, he would cheer- 
fully enL;ai^e in the delightful exercise of those tender attentions and regards, which 
would lielp to smooths the declining path, and brighten the evening of his revered 
parent's days. 

Equally beautiful and deliii,htful, docs the reviewer trust, will it be, to an honest 
pcrupulous and conscientious slaveholder, to learn, from tlic word of God, the glad 
tidings that slavery, itself, is not sinl'ul — Released now from an ineubus that par- 
alyzed his eneri.it s, in discharge of duty towards his slaves, lie goes forth cheerfully 
to energetic action — It is not now as tormerly, when lie viewed slavery as in itself 
sinful — He can now pray, with the hope of being heard, that God will bless his 
exertions to train up his slaves "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord:" 
whereas, before, he was retarded by this consideration — "If I regard iniquity in my 
heart, the Lord will not hear me." — Instead of hanging down his head, moping 
and brooding over his condition, as formerly, witliout action, he raises hJS-iiead,.and 
movci on cheerfully, in the plain path of duty. 

He is no more tempted to look askanse at the word of God, and saying "hast 
thou, found ine, O mine enemy," come to "filch from me" my slaves, "while not 
enriching" them, "leaves nio poor indeed?" Instead of viewing the word of God, 
as formerly, come with whips and scorpions, to chastise him into paradise, he feels 
that us "ways are ways of pleasantness, and its paths peace" — Distinguishing now 
between the real woi<t of God, and what are only the doctrines find commandments 
of men, the mystery is solved, which was before insolvable, viz: "The statutes of 
the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart." 

Such, the author of the following review, hopes will be the beneficial tendeiicy of 
the mass of scnpturalevidcnce, which he has brought up in battle array, to demolish 
the grand and only pillar of the whole abolition and emancipating fabric. 

It seems, to the reviewer, that no one can read the Review, without coming to 
the conviction, that the abolition maxim, of the sinfulness of slavery, is wholly, and 
utterly, unsupported by the word of God. 

Se is; however, not so sanguine, in his hope of this result, as ho would have been 
twenty years ago, when he was ignorant of the immense weight of great names, 
and "Hattering titles," to enlist the^favor, and enslave the conscience of thousands— 
and when he was partially ignorant, how many nominally great, and really good 
men, there are, who, instead of thinking and examining for themselves, settle 
down on the maxias of men, orgetful "that great men are not always wise"— 
and forgetful, also, "that there is a way which secmeth right unto a man, but the 
end thereof are the ways of dwtli." 

The wiiter has lived too long in the world, and watched the movements ©f men, 
not to be confirmed in the f-ad truth of Solomon's prov rh, "Though tliou siiouldst 
bray a fool in a mortar, anions wheat, with a pestle, yet will not his looJishncss depart 
from him." 

He has noticed, that where the mind has seized on a favorite maxim, and which 
has been long cherished and publicly defended, you may pesUc that iiund witli the- 



( 5 ) 

palpable word of God — even "among the wheat" of religion, and among many 
christian graces, ytt, strange and unaccountable as it may seem, it is, nev rthelL'SS, 
a stubborn fact, that there are such charact-rs, as will wring, and twist, and explain 
away the word of God, rather than let their "foolishness depart from them." 

Of such characters, he has but little hope, until the tide will turn, and they can 
perceive a goodly number of the nominally great and wise, with spread sail, riding 
on tho top of the wave There are, however, some who think for themselves, and 
who endeavor to distinguish between the commandments of God and those of men. 
He rejoices that there are such; and with such, and such only, would he desire his 
little review to keep company. — They, and they alone, can discern any substantial 
defects. — They, and they alone, can pass over any litth: warts or protuberances it 
may have, without at all shocking their mental nerves, provided they find it subatan^ 
tially in accordance with the word ol God. 

Reader, he will not detain you any longer — proceed on — read, and judge fc> 
voureelf ; and may ths Spirit of Truth guide ygu, is tiie prayer of the 

AUTHOR. 



THE 

CHILLICOTHE LETTER, 

TO THE PRESBYTERY OF MISSISSIPPL 



Dear Brethren, Beloved in the Lord: 

I • u n . J^^ELiNG that the cause of Christ ia a common cause, ia 
which all the members of his body, the Church, wherever frufid, are more 
or less mterested, we are induced to address you, on a subject deeply 
involv.nir her purity and prosperity. So close and tender are the ties, 
which buid us together, as members of the same Church, and children of 
me same hpnit, that when one member rejoices or suffers, all the 
members rejmce and sufier with it. The present t.me is witness to the 
aaddenmg truth, that v.tal godliness ,s greatly declinmg; division, in some 
degree, preva.hng; alienation of feeling and affection towards the breth- 
nf";h?rh i'r T""^"^ attending the means of grace, and the efforts 

i n T^ ^*"' *^^ ^xt«"^'«» of the Redeemer's kingdom. 
Th. r lu '^r''l'\'^^''}y « cause, and that cause exists in the Church. 
The Great Head of the Church, in all these things, is saying unto us 

Z \ 'a I" f ^"T ^ '^'"-' "• '^^ '^'^•'^^ ^^'^''^^ O '«rael ! Thou canst 
not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thine 
trom among you." luiiig 

What, then, dear brethren, is our duty, in such a crisis as this? Is it 
?h.t?K '"rT"''' ^'''^^"^'y a<"'^'- »he cause, in order to its speedy removal, 
that the D.vine presence and blessing may no longer be withheld from 
us { Up, sanctify he people," is the command of God, to all the leaders 
SI tvtlW "^ this to be incumbent, and believing the sin of 

a PrJh P' I" T"^''"^ ^^" ^'^"^'"h' '^ 'he "accursed thing," we, as 
a Presbytery, have been impelled, under these convictions, and a love to 
the souls of our fellow men, to adopt measures for its exclusion from the 
Churches under our care. The following resolutions, expressive of our 
▼wws, as a Presbytery, touchmg this subject, we have adopted, and the? 



{ ») 

ere hefebV mid before you, that you may, as a Presbyifry. consider them; 
andif you approve any, or all of them, that you adopt them, c-r something 
similar which shall eo to exclude, m due time, and m a proper manner, 
this cryinir sm tVom the Churches under your care— viz : 

1 Resolved, That the buying, selling, or holdmg of a slave, for the 
sake of gain, is a heinous sin and scandal, requirmg the cognizance of the 
iudicatories of the Church. ^ 

2 Resolved, That givmg, or bequeathing, slaves to chddren, or other*, 
as property, is a great sm; and, when committed by a member ot the 
Church, ought to subject him to church censurf. 

3 Resolved, That to sell a slave, his own liberty, except when the 
slave was purchased at his own request, and has failed to remunerate his 
Lster for the price paid, is a great injustice, and ought to be made a 
term of communion, , , , ,. ^ 

4 Resolved, That to offer a slave his freedom, only ori the condition, 
that he will leave his country, and go into a foreign land, is unjust and 
cruel, and ought to subject a church member to censure. 

6. Resolved, That when a slave is emancipated, whose services have 
been of much value to his master, refusing to give hiin a reasonable com- 
pensation for his labor, when his master is able to do it, or turning him 
out to the world, when he wishes to stay as a hireling, is a grievous sin. 
and when committed by a church member, ought to subject him to suspen^ 

^'°6.' «Lk^ec/' That when a master advertises a reward, for a runaway 
6lave, aoainstwhom no other crime is alleged, than ^.^f P'^f/'^^^.'^^'f 
mtster, he is guilty of a scandalous s.n,^ud forfeits his right to the sealing 

"7"X:/l''^i 'r^'prehend a slave, who is endeavoiing to escape 
from st::; with a view ^o' restore him to his -aster, is a d.ect vi.^a lou 
of the Divine Law, and when committed by a member ot the Chuich, 

^r r;s^Str;rmber of our church, ^^^^-zz 

oneak in favor of such laws as have been, or may yet be enacted, io the 
Xpose of keeping the slaves in ignorance, and preventing thorn Irom 
Fearnmg to read the%vord of God, is guilty of a great sin. and ought to be 
dealt with, as for other scandalous crimes. hp«;« wicked. 

9. Resolved, That should any member of ^-^ C^"-^^^' .^.^f". J^'^".";' 
as to mamfest a desire, to exclude colored peop e from ^ ^^;^t "' ^^^^^^^^^^^ 
of God, or at the Lord's table, w.lh white people, he ought, on conviction 
thereof to be suspended from the Lord's tab ;-, until he repent. 

Helievins as we do, that every (Jhristian Church, or Union, or associ- 
ation of Ch'urXs 1. e'ntitled to declare the terms of admissK,n intercom. 

munion, and the qualifications of '^^ '«'"'=^*"\«"f "r^h.^'aoooln ed 
the whole system of its internal government, ^h.ch Christ has appo.cd 
we can see no good reason, why the C hurch, or any branch of "' should 
hesitate to exclude, in a regular way, this siN, merely because we tm.6 it 
involved in our political relations. 



( 9) 

If any man chooses to hold slaves, under (he constitudon of any slave 
vStatP, we, as a Church, infringe not on his constitutional rights. But has 
he a light to force a claim upon the grant of church communion, while 
chargeable with a sin, in itself peculiarly henious in the sight of God? — 
Certainly not. 

If our Government should establish and protect, by law, a system of 
the grossest idolatry, would it be the duty of the Church, on that account, 
to admit those who practice it, into communion? Certainl_y not. In such 
a case, while yielding obedience to God, we would only claim the exer- 
cise of our own rights, without infringing on any man's civil rights. — 
Every man, in such a case, would have his election ; and, althought he 
might be dissatisfied, yet, certainly he could have no just cause of com- 
plaint ; especially, if the Church should be acting in a way consistent 
with the word of God, as we verily believe would be the case, while 
aiming at the speedy and entire removal of this sin from the Church. 

Say not, the work is too great, nor this deadly enemy of our peace and 
j>rosperity, too powerful to be resisted. It is a sin that loves the darkness, 
and cannot endure the light. An enemy that is unable to stand before the 
sv.'ord of the spirit, and the remnant of God's people, girded with the 
panoply of Heaven, and trusting in the God of Zion for victory. 

Prayer and consistent eflbrt, in this matter, will bring to our aid the 
resources of Omnipotence. 

Praying that the Great Head of the Church may, by his spirit, and his 
word, guide you in his own right way, we remain affectionately yours. 
Signed, JNO. P. VANDYKE, S, Clerk. 

By order of (he Presbytery. 

Ohio, November 28, 1835 

Address— "To the Stated Clerk of Ihc Pvcshvteni of MississhwL To- 
!>'rOfPce,Miy ^^ 



•RnWl'BWI, ^ 



SECTION I. 
Pine Grove, Mississippi, February 15, 18a«. 
RiKvaRjsND AND Dear Brother Vandyue : 

Your letter, or rather the letter of the Presbytery ot' wb:cli 
ynu are Stated Clerk, was handed to me a few minutes ago, by the Post- 
master. Being directed to the Stated Clerk of the Mississippi Presby- 
tery, Toler Post Office, which is my address, and having been Stated 
Clerk of that Presbytery, since its first meeting at Pine Ridge, March, 
1816, until its division ; 5*nd supposing the letter contained matter for the 
whole original Mississippi Presbytery, I paid the postage and opened it, 
with a view to take a copy, if of a public nature, and lay it before the 
Amite Presbytery, whose Stated Sessions will take place previously 
to the time appointed fcr the Stated Sessions of the Mississippi Pres- 
byicry. 

This I will do ; and in the meantime transmit the original to Revtreni 
Jeremiah Chamberlai.i, D. D., the present Stated Clefk of the Missis- 
sippi Presbytery. In the confidence, that while the Mississippi Presby- 
tery will not disapprobate the liberty I have taken, your Presbytery will 
be pleased to hear that your circular will be laid before the Amite Presby- 
tery, by one of its members. 

What the action of either of those Presbyteries will be, or whether 
any, en your letter, I cannot, with any absolute certainty, divine, I can- 
not for a moment doubt, hov/ever, but that both Presbyteries will pvr^ 
yeu full credit for your zeal, and be far fron questioning the sincerity cf 
your motives. But whether either or both of them will conclude that 
y«ur ;:eal is according to knowledge, or tbc3 your plan for ameliorating 
the condition of slaves — for "prev^niing the decline of vital godliness" — 
'*the prevairnine of divsion, and tl;e existence of aiienution of fei-ling ana 
affection, towards the bretkrea," is worthy of your sincerity, is to m? 
praWenAaiicfti, 



(12) ^ 

From the knowledge I have of all the members of both the Mississippi 
and Amite Presbyteries, I can say, 's\ithoLit the risk of contradiction or 
offence, that to a man, we would ardently, cheerfully, and laboriously unil.; 
and co-operate with our brethren, not of our own church only, but of oth- 
er denominations, in any, and all, plainlij scriptural schemes, to amelioi- 
ate the condition of the colored race. 

The amelioraling their condition, is a subject which has long lain near 
our hearts. It is still with us a subject of much solicitude — As an evi- 
dence of it, most of our ministers, devote part of their time, to preach- 
ing the Gospel to them ; and one member of the Presbyteiy, to which 1 
belong, (in point of piefy and intellectual endowment, inferior to none,) 
devotes his whole time, to the spiritual improvement of the coloied people 
in his neighborhood. 

I can assure you, that it is no small grief to us, that cur northern aiid 
western brethren, of our own and other denominations, cannot, and, v, e 
fear, in some instances, will not see the subject of slavery with us in the 
same light. 

It is doubtful, with me, whether there be, in the Amite or Mississip|>i 
Presbyteries, an individual member, who is fully conyiroed, that to abol- 
ish the relation of master and slave, is the scriptural mode of removing 
the evils of slavery. I can speak for one — I am not; nor do I expert or 
desire to be convinced, otherwise than by the scriptnns of iht Olu cm-: 
JVew Testaments. When the scriptures teach me, or when any one wil! 
.shew me that (he scriptures do teach, that slavery, or the relation of mar^- 
ter and slave, is sinful, then, as a minister, and as a christian, i am pledged 
to forsake it. 

When 1 see a building well joined together, well arched, well propor- 
tioned, and commanding the admiration of thousands of tha aged and the 
good, and, on close examination, find it "founded on a rock," 1 join in 
the admiration ; and, according to my ability, contribute tovvards extend- 
ing and ornamenting the building. Out if it be "fouudeid on the sand,"' 
or on a foundation of doubtf\il solidity, and, more espcQially, if wr.hal, i- 
is loosely joined, and ill prriportioned, instead of j<nriing in admirir» 
plaudits, however t umerous, gr?at, old, and good, the men may be, who 
are employed in reaiing the stiucture, I air^onstrained to conclude, wilh 
the Buzite of old, that "great men arc not el ways wiic, neither do the 
aged understand judgment." . r'.^ 

Permit me now, niy dear brother, in the GDJifideiice of the love which 
you, as the organ of ihc Chillichothe Presbytery, express towards the 
members of the Mississippi Presbytery, as "beloved in the Lord," to statu 
to you some of the defects, which will hinder me, and, perchance, ^11 the 
members of our southwestern Presbyteries, from co-operating with the 
<^/hiHico(he Presbytery, m rearing, extending, or maintaining, your aboli- 
tion tabric. 

What our Presbyteries \?tll, or will not do, is yet for the future to de- 
velope ; but what I, as an individual member, will strive to do, you will 
he able to rionicclm'P, hv the time voii bnve !Vsi^hpd readin^if this ep'.stlc, 



( 13 ) 

which I send you. If it answers no other purpose, it may operate as a 
chymical drop to still fitiy possible fermentation which might arise from a 
difference of opinion, (nut beliej,) on the> subject of slavery. 

If I mistake not, the whole fabric rests on the belief that slavery in a 
SIJV, — a sin of no ordinarij magnitude. Belief and opinion are distinct. 
Belief, is predicated, not on probabilities, but upon testimony — Opinion, 
is predicated upon the higher probabililies alone, and not on testimony. — 
When the witness is fallible, liable to be mistaken, or deceived, as all hu- 
man testimony is, to a greater or less extent, then a belief, resting on hu- 
iiian testimony, has, in part opinion for its foundation. But when God is 
I he witness, we know that his testimany is true. — To call in question his 
testimony is rank infidelity — To asciibe to him testimony, which he does 
not give, or by ingeniously making it plausible, that he mtends teaching 
a doctrine, as accordant with his will, which condemns his own belovefl 
Son, and makes his apostles liars, is, undeniably, /^resj^mp/ioM. It is un- 
equivocally condenmed by himselt". — "■Jidd. thou not unto his uonJs lest 
he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." — Prov. xxx, 6. "V^ hatsoevei 
thing I command you, observe to do it : thou shalt ?!o/ add thereto, nor 
ilimsnish Jrom it.^' — Deiit. xii, 32. "For 1 testity unto every man that 
liearelh the words of the prophecy of this book ; if any man shall add 
unto these things, God shall add unto him the plaguts that are writien ia 
this book.- If any man shall take away from the loords of the boo-^ of this 
prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out ot 
the holy city, and from the things that are written in this book." — Rev. 
xxi, 18 and 19. 

God testifies that "sin is the transgression of the Law," and, that "he 
that sinneth is of the devil." The Laio, to which he alludes, is undoubt- 
edly his own Law, revealed in his own word, and not the presumptuou-- 
vagaries of the prophets of Israel, menti(med by Ezekiel, "who prophesy 
viit of their own hearts, foolish prophets that follow their own sjnrit, auil 
have seen nothing!" — Ezek. jciii, 23. If slavery be a sin, as you say, 
and if "advertising and apprehending slaves, with a view to restore them 
o their master, is a direct violation of the Divine Law" — also, "that the 
buying, selling, or holding, a slave, for the sake of gain, is a henious sin 
and scandal," then, verily, t^ee Iburths of all the Episcopalians, Metlio- 
(iists. Baptists, and Presbyterians, in eleven States of the Union, "are of 
the devil." They "hold," if they do not "buy and sell" slaves ; and with 
few exceptions, they hesitate not "to apprehend and restore" runaway 
slaves, when in their power. To question, whether "slave holders, or. 
slave buyers," "are of the devil," seems to me like calling in question, 
whether God is, or is not, a true witness. That is, provided it is God'.s 
testimony, and not merely the testimony of the Chillicothe Presbytery, 
that it is "a heinous sin and scandal," "to buy, sell, or hold slaves." 

If the testimony of men, albtie, be sufficient, to establish the belief, that 
sflavery is a sin, then the Chillicothe Presbytery has the testimony, not of 
"two or three witnesses," alone, but the testimony of hundreds, (I might 
perhaps say thousands,) of men, much above. the ordinary ranks of Intel- 



(14) 

hfjoiice. Among whom might be ranked such divines as Edwr.rdp, WeS' 
ley, Purteus, and I might add, ifie Geiienil Asscrrll)!)' (•>(" 1818 : such phi- 
losophers and pohticians as \A ilhcrftuce, J«'hri.sc.n, Burke, &c.* It it 
upon such tet^timony, then, I presume, that the Chiilieuth') Presbylerj 
found their belief, that slavery is a sin — not upon any express declaralioD 
of scripture. 

But, n)y dear brother, whatever may be my repard for the learning and 
fcbilitie?, of those divines and philopopherp, and whatever bii:h respect I 
may have for the Chillicoihe Pieshytery, 1 cannot lay aside the good old 
Beiean custom, of "searching the scripture;?," of the Old and ^'evv Tes- 
taments, to ascertain the truth. W hile I hold Ihtm as the only infallible 
rule of faith and practice, and the only authentic manifestation of the Di- 
vine Law, 1 cannot recognize any nan, or any body of men ^ as the legit- 
imate and exclusive interpreters of God's uill. 

I knov that so many great and good men have adopted the maxim, that 
•Javery is a sin, that to them it appears axiomatic ; and hence, the calling 
in queslion the axiom, places, even an inquirer, in the altitude of a man 
«f loose morals, or an infidel,! or a skeptic. Hence, as I am not en- 
tirely uninfluenced by the idea of the good opinion of my fellow christians, 
end etpeciaily oi mmisters of n»y own and other denominations, in the 
north and west, and perhaps some, even in the south ; 1 can but feel, as I 
hcvfc always felt, a reluctance to call publicly in question the maxim. Re- 
epecl, however, to you, to myself, and to my fellow laborers in the min- 
istry, and the Church, who hold slaves, seem to require some answer Jo 
your letter. 

The "*«3M*i'er in modo,'"' of the beginning of your letter, tempts me 
strongly to conceal from myiclf and ethers, the entire deatitution of the 
fciiitcr in re. P*ly nfimd, however, may be affected with some opthalmic 
d.'seGse, of which 1 do not feel conscious, and thus blind me to the dis- 
coveiy of the strcngih of your positions. Your excellent prayer, in 
the close of your, letter, that we "may be guided by his Spirit and his 
v:crd,'' is an ecouragement to me to hope, that the light reiiected, by Gorf's 
tssiiinony, will not be rejected, if it should, in the course of the investiga- 
tion, even appear, "that great men are not always wise." 

In the beginning of this investigation, there are two things I wish your 
Presbytery to bear in mind — viz : 

1. That the calling in question the truth of the maxim, that slavery, 
slave holding, slave buying, and slave selling, is sin, does not remove the 
laboring oar out of the hands of those who adopt the affirmative, or bind 
me to take the oar and prove the negative. 

2. That truth, and not victory, is what we are interested to obtain ; and 
that the scriptures are to be our only iAfellible guide ; giving, however, to 
human festitnpny all due weight, in elucidating the scriptureSj but reject- 



*See W. Jaifs inquiry. # 

\-See lieevet* Letlera (Introdttdiori) to Bon. Wm. Jay. 



(15) 

ing, however r<??pectable, any testimony of man, which is at variance wiih 
the word of God. 

W'itho'.it, at present, tourhing your nine resolutions, the following is a 
fair synopsis ot" t!ie pie.unble to your rbSultjtions — viz : That slavery is a 
sin of no ordinary inagiiitiide — that il is the accursed thing, which is, ver- 
ily.'lhe cause of the decline of vital godliness — of divisions — of alienn- 
ation of feelings and aitections towards the brethren — of the little succes» 
attending the means of grace, and the efforts of the Church for the ex- 
tension of the Ftfcdeetner's kingdom. 

The above yuii express as your conviction. 'Now, brethren, I unhes- 
itatingly say, that if such evils always have, now do, and ever will con- 
tinue to be, the legitimate consequences of slavery, it is a most sppaling 
consideration. If true, there can be no dispute, but that every man, as 
well as minister, ought not to hesitate a moment, but to unite cordially, 
with heart and hand, to "make a long pull — a strong pull, and a pull alto- 
gether," to tear it, not only from the Church, but, also, from the whole 
world. With this conviction, it would be a matter of surprise, if the 
Chillicothe Presbytery would cease to "cry aloud, or spare to shew God's 
people their transgressi(»n, and the house of Jacob their sm." AVith such 
a conviction, I am not at all surprised, that you should view slavery, as 
you say, as "«» eneimj, that is unable to stand before the sword of the 
spirit, and the remnant of God's people, girded with the panoply of heaven, 
and trusliag in the God of Zion for victory :" nor arn I surprised, while 
under that conviction, at your expressed aim — viz : ''the speedy and entire 
removal of this sin from the Church." 

But, after all, may you not be mistaken? May it not posfeibly be, that 
something else, than slavery, is the "accursed thing?" May not the "di- 
visions, the alienation of feelings and atfections, towards the brethren," 
&c., be traced to some other cause — especially, when it is notorious, 
that where slavery exists, christian brethren of all denominations, seeia 
to maintain the "unity of the spirit in the bonds of peace !" I can tes- 
tify that it has been so, in Mississippi and Louisiana, for thirty years 
past. 

May it not possibly arise and continue, among you, from the fact, that 
you export, to the south, so much of your christian regards, especially, 
«nd almost exclusively, to the negroes, that you have nothing, or but very 
little,. left (or home consumption i May not your having Ihe care of the 
slave holding Churches, resting on your shoulders, be too heavy a bijr= 
then? In the first page of your letter, you express this sentiment, 
when you say, "we are impelled from a love to the souls of our fellow 
nrien, to exclude slavery from the Cliurches under our care^^ — for there 
are no slaves in Ohio, if I mistake not, in your Churches. 

fo searching out the cause of "divisions, alienaiion of feelings," Sec, 
among you, 1 have spsuit much thought. 

I have, years ago, entered seriously on the investigation of the qiics- 
fion, isgiavery in itself ninfu' — and, on examination of tlu» scrij-turca, and 
ftcta, a» brgught to li^lu by LlsSory, i have arrived at a djfl&ircnt cotiglu- 



(16) 

Mon from you. 1 have arrived at the conviction, that slavery, itself, is 
not sinful. That the evils of slavery, like the evils of matrimony, may 
he traced to the neglect of the duties incumbent upon the individuals sus- 
taining the relation; and, hence, I have come to the conviclion, that, as 
in the Apostolic day, erroneous principles, reduced to practice, are the 
fruitful sources of the evils of \vhich you complain in the Churches. — 
Ancient abolitionists, to get free from the evils of matrimony, were al- 
ways "forbidding to marry," which course, Paul tells Timothy, is "a de- 
parture from the faith, and giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrine^ 
of devils." 

If you will bear with me, I will, in the confidence of christian friend- 
Hhip, state to you some of the facts, which arrested my attention, and 
produced my present conviction; and I do sincerely pray, reciprocating 
the excellent language, and, I trust, the spirit of the prayer, in the close of 
your letter, "that the Great Head of the Church may, by his spirit and his 
word, guide you in his own right way. 



SECTION II. 

In this section, I will examine the Old testament, and there it appears, 
from Genesis ix, 25, 26, and 27, that when there was but one family on 
the face of the earth, a part of that family was doomed, by the father, 
Noah, to become slaves to the others. That part was the posterity of 
Ham, from whom, it is supposed, sprung the Africans, "Cursed be Ca- 
naan, a servant of servants shall he be to his brethren ; and he said, blessed 
be the Lord God of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall 
enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem, and Canaan 
,'ihall be his servant.''^ 

How many slaves Abraham, the father of the faithful, had, I have no 
means of ascertaining ; but this fact can be collected from his history, 
Genesis xiv, 14, that when he went out to rescue his nephew. Lot, "he 
anned three hundred and eighteen of his trained servants, born in his 
housed That these were not hired servants, but slaves, appears probable 
from the language of the covenant of circumcision. Genesis xvii, 12 — 
"And he that is eight days old among you, every man child in your gen- 
erations; he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stran- 
i^cr, which is not of thy seed." The 13th verse is to the same import, 
in the 23d and 27th verses, of the same chapter, we find Abraham obey- 
ing, by circumcising "all the men of his house, born in the house, and 
bought ivith money of the stranger." It does not appear, that when 
Abraham bought u'iih his money, slaves, he thought it a "heinous sin and 
scandal." The Chillicothe Presbytery, according to the tenor of theit 
first resolution, would have told him that he ought to be censured. 



I 17) 

Although it might seem, that Abraham hf»d as ms.uy slaves, as any of 
our southern planters could desire, for he had three hundred and eighteen 
men soldiers, born in his house, besides women and children, and those 
he ^'bought with kis moJic?/," perhaps nineteen hundred in oil, supposing 
the number bought to have been equa! to three hundred and ti^Lteor!, 
^nd one third of the whole to have been ?okliers ; yet, afterwards, his 
stock of slaves was greatly increased. At the time he dwelt between 
Kadesh and Shur, and i'eigned to Abimeleck thit Sarah was his sister, in- 
.stend of his wife, under the mistaken idea, that '"the fear of God was 
not in Gerar," was the time when Abimeieck, the Monarch of Gerar, 
besides sheep and oxen, and 1000 pieces of silver, (near $140,*) gave 
Abraham "men servants and women servants."* — Genesis xx, 14 — 16 — 
thus adding to the number of his slaves. 

Abraham, no doubt, treated his slaves well, as all good masters do. — 
But the question is not about the treatment of slaves, but whether slave- 
ry, itself, is n sin and a curse. The further history of Abraham will 
throw some light on the subject. About the time he was one hundred 
and forty years of age, he sent his principal servant, a pious nian, and 
who, no doubt, imbibed the religious principles of his old master, to get a 
wife for Isaac, his young master. He went to Mesopotamia, to the 
house of Belhuel, the nephew of Abraham, who had an interestir-g daiigh- 
1er, named Rebekah. Bethuel very hospitably placed meat before him ; 
but the servant would not eat until he had told his errand. "When bis 
host told him to speak on, he commenced with the following introductory 
remarks; "And the Lord hath ble?scd my master greatly; and he is 
become great; and he hath given him !»ock.^,and herds, and silver, and gold, 
snd men scrvar.ts, and maid sen:ants',a.\id camel?,and asse.'-.' -Ger.x>;iv,35. 
Here note, that the pious servant, himself, recognized (he ";/iert scrvanh', 
and maid servants,-^ not only as his master's prcpcHij, but as the Lord's 
gift to his master. "He (the Lord) hath given" thegi — not as a curse, 
and a great affliction to his master ; but, as he says, a blessing — nay, a 
great blessing — "■The Lord halh blessed mij master greatly.^' ' ' 

It seems to mo, to be offering violence to scripture ian<:^uagc, to say, 
that Abraham's servants, were hi fed servants, when tliey were cither*- 
bought with his^monry, of any stranger, or born in his house; and, some 
of them, received as a jTrcsenf, from his royal friend, Abimeleck. Who 
ever heard of buying hired servants, or making a fireseni of a hired ser- 
vant? The divine regidations, respecting hired servants, absolutely re- 
<5uircd payment of (heir wages, at night, for the labors of the; day. Lev. 
xix, 13 — "The wages of hun (bat is hired shall Hot abide with thee all 
night until the morning." Deut. xxiv, 14, 15— "Thou shalt not oppress 
i\ hired servant, that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or 



K/lccording to the price at trhich Joseph ivas sold, 07it hundred and 
forty dollars would buy nearly f/iu seven yoUng slaves ; but it is probable 
staves sold higher in jfoseph^s time. 



(IS) 

•J thy strangers, tbul are iu thy land, wtthin thy gates ; at this day, thou 
.'halt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it, for he i.^ 
poor and settelh his heart upon it," &c. 

^J'hal Abraham's servants were not hired, but slaves, constituting part 
.'i his family, will appear from the fact, already alluded to, viz : thai *'he 
' ircumcised all that he bought with his money,'' &c., and, also, from the 
"ict, that under the Mosaic Law, servants, whether bought or raised, par- 
i >ok of the passover, or, at least, it was their privilege ; while "a foreign- 
*. r, and an hired servant, shall not eat thereof." — Exod. xii, 45. It is 
true, that although circumcision was instituted in the days of Abraham. 
tnd the passover not ; nevertheless it is presumable, if not certain, that a 
iilicrence was made, a<nong the descendants of Abraham, between their 
uwn servants and their hired servants. 

It was the privilege of the servant or slave to partake of God's oidi- 
uaiiccs, while hired servants were excluded. 

IVhero now, my dear brother, is the philanthropy of reducing .slaves to 
liic excluded condition of hired servants ? Gen. xxvi, 5 — "Abraham 
• )beyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statute.^, 
and my laws." How could this be true of Abraham, "/lo/c/m^," as he 
did, until he was an old man, more slaves than any man in Mississippi or 
iiouisiana? Does not the Chillicothe Presbytery resolve, ^hat ^'holding,'' 
as well as "buying and selling slnves," i» a heinous sin and .scandal ^ 
How can it be consistent, if slavery itself is a very great sin, that he 
"kept God's Lawsl" 

fu process of time, Isaac, we are told, went to Gerar, "and sowed iu 
that land, and received, in the same year, an hundred fold : and the Lord 
f'lessed him ; and the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew, un- 
til he became v'er-y great : for he had possession of flocks, and posscssiou 
of herds, and great store of servan(s."-^Gen. xxvi, 12, 13, 14. From, 
the above history of Isaac, one of two facts ig incontrovertable. His 
g-silpnl stom of servants, he must either have had bequeathed to him by hi> 
father, Abraham, or he must, from the proceeds of his agricultural pur- 
;:aits, and of his flocks, have purchased them. In either case, he is at 
variance with the first resolution of the Chillicothe Presbytery. If they 
were "bequeathed" to him, by Abraham, or "given" to him, then Abra- 
ham, according to the second resolution of the Chillicothe Presbytery, 
was "guilty of a great sin," "andouglif," being "a member of the Church, 
to" be "subject to church censure." Isaac, holding the slaves "fce- 
ijuecithed'^ or "gn'e?i" to him by his father, was also "guilty of a heinous 
.-lu and scandai." Even if he bought them, he is still, in the opinion of 
the Chillicothe Presbytery, in the same dilemma. The history says — 
"And the Lord blessed him," [Isaac] and then follows an account of the 
manner in which "the Lord blessed him." "And," the close of the ac- 
-■ount mention.s, ''great store of servants.''' Gi;ii. xxv, 5 — "And Abraham 
gave all that he had unto Isaac." Let the Chillicothe Presbytery attend 
lo these portions of scripture, which so plainjy shew slavery to be ap- 
proved by Divine Wisdom, and explain them. 



(19) 

Jacob, the son of Isaac, was no less "heinous and ecanclalous" in In- 
life, than were his father and grand father, on the subject of slavery, fn 
obedience to his father's command, he went to see his uncle I.aban, wiili 
whom ho lived about twenty years. Ic Genesis xxx, 43, it is recordf (i 
of him, that "the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and 
maid scyvanfs, and men servants, and camels, and asses." The men ser- 
vants and maid servants he must have purchased : for it does not appoai 
from the history, that his father gave him any. That his father-in-law 
gave him none, except Zilpah and Bilhah, the handmaids of Leah ami 
Rachel, appears trom the language of Leah and Rachel, recorded in the 
14th, 15th, and 16th verfees ot the xxxi chapter, of Genesis, hi 
*hc xxxii, which gives an account of the preparations of Jacob, to 
•ineet his brother Esau, and of his meeting with the "angel of God," at 
Mahanaim, in the 6th verse, we have recorded this part of the message 
he sent to his brother, viz — "and I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and men 
^ervanls, andtvomen sei-vants,'^ all under his absolute control. 

The history of the sale of Joseph, the great grand son of Abraham, 
and the grand nephev/ of Ishmael, whose descendants were the purchaser- 
of Joseph, and who sold him to Potiphar, in Egypt, is a presumptive ev- 
idence, that the buying and selling of slaves, was a matter of very coc;- 
rnon occurrence, with all classes of people, both the good and the bad. 

The sale of Joseph to the Ishmaeiites, is not spoken of as proceed- 
ing from a cruel, but from a kind purpose, on the part of Judah ; Gen. 
xxxvii, 26, 27 — "And Judah said unto his brethren, what profit is it if v.( 
slay our brother, and conceal his blood ? Come, and let us sell him i 
the Ishmaelites, and let not our hands be upon him ; for he is our broth? ; 
and our flesh : and his brethren were content." 

They effected the sale at twenty pieces of silver, or $2,75, to Joseph'- 
own relations. As they were all the descendents of Abraham, and nu 
doubt accustomed to the sale and purchase of slaves, it will account to, 
the ready expedient of Judah, to propose the sale, and the want of hesi- 
tation on the part of his kinsfolk, to agree to the purchase. That th-^ 
idea of slavery was familiar to the Lshmaelites, wo may learn from ih; 
tact, that these same brethren of Joseph proposed, to the messenger scnu. 
to examine their sacks, for the money and the silver cup, that the oii'- 
of them with whom the cup should bo found, should bo put to death, and 
the rest remain as "bond men." Gen. xliv, 9 — "And we will also be w.r 
lord's bond men." 

That slavery was familiar to the Egyptians, at the same time, is appri- 
rent, from tiie proposition made by them, during the famine, to Josepii. 
Gen. xlvii, 19 — '^JJuy tis and our land for bread, and we and our land will ' 
1)6 servants unto Pharaoh." 

I have called your attention, above, to the facts, which came under mv 
observation, from the days of Noah, until the famine in Egypt, a period 
of something more than one thousand years ; and I think you must, un- 
less exceedingly prejudiced, conclude, with me, that the higher piobabihtv 
is, that slavery existed during that period, and cspeciallv, with but ycrv 



(20) 

little reason to doubt, that Abraham, Isaac, and f-'^'^ob were ^l^rgesLv, 
holder. ; probably larger than any one slave holder n, the United States, 
and that witho,.t any expressed disapprobatton of heaven, or any tenable 
ground lor the inference, that slavery, or the holding ot slaves, was, m 

Dmmi (he period that the IsraeUtes were in Egypt, their own expe- 
rience tanght them, what it was to be bond men and bond women rha 
their conchtion was that of the most abject bondage or f^^^V, there ca 
ho no doubt. That we may have a correct idea ol the language u.ed u 
the Mosaic economy, when bondage k.pokfen oi, I canno conce^Ae tha. 
we go astray, in applying the terms of bond men and bond n«f ; ^^ '"^ 
wotVld naturally suppose the Israelites, themselves, understood W 
The bond men and bond nmid^, aa d.st.ncl from the J^^^s that we,e o a 
or bought in servitude, were those ujose term of service ^va^^o f, who 
w ere not allowed to have a will of their own, at '*-«^!^"f ^ '*^ ,\^;^,;^ ""^ 
their master ; and of whom more service was required, «"d whose lope 
of over obtaining freedom, depended entirely on the sovereign will ot their 

'"'in'his inquiry, I have not allowed myself, for ^f.^?'J^.!"^age. a^^^^^ 
philosopher, or a legislator, in the inquiry ^^^^.^"7-^'"!' "^^^f J^j;' to a 
have a good or bad tendericy. My simple object is, and has ^^^"'^o as 
certain what the laws have been, and what were the fac s. J^^l^l'^^^'^ 
however, I am certain, that ^Jod never enacted a bad 1^;^' ^« ^^ff ^^^'^^ 
countenance, by written permission, to that which is in 't^elf sintul low 
"^riiequenUy; in his adorable mercy, he may have winked at sin, or 

passed it over unpunished. . . • ■ „ ^^ 

There is this, also, 1 have long been warring against, viz, .e./ing on 
• l.t IfPvt of .crioture, to prove u (avoritc position. Su^h a method, 
^.wcs^m.^ion sonl'^a^^^^ '"-'"d' ^-^ T^' '^' 

saSscriJlur's, appear to be little more than a tarrago ot mcon- 

"t::S;artlcularlv struck with the f^nco f.^^e alcove remark^ when a 
tViend ofLine, a .varn. advoc^e of t^ ^i:^ ^'^li ^^ Z 

My fr end had forgotten, that among the Israelite., the bond "J ;^h?^ ;_ 
;:L!S"n. to return to ; and that they wore ""^ --f^^^^ t^^^ 
il^'nh of the land. I was sorry to see him manitestly ^'^'P'^^^^^'.^^V^m- 
hittnid Ihat Go<l had, in the -Uth 45th and ^^^^ ^^o '^h ^^ I 
chapter, made, /»o«d me7i and bond mauh, nn exception to 

'"Xhe "buyin., .oiling, or holding slaves," he admitted, wa. nc^ in-^on- 
ci.u nt wUh the i)ivine^L.w ; it was slavery for hte, he objected to 

TheTegulations. under the Mosaic economy, were ^^^^; ^^'^ 
to reeoanfzo perpetual slaverv, but, al.o, to recognize slaves .. propertv. 



(21) 

as much so as money. In the book of Exodus, xxi, 5, 6, the perpetual 
slavery of even a Hebrew, is recognized. When the master gave to n 
Hebrew servant a wife, should the servant, at the end of seven years, be 
disposed to go free, according to the general law of the jubilee, he was 
at liberty to go, but his wife and children, belonged to the master. — 
Should he, nevertheless, be attached to his master, and to his wife and 
children, and say, that "he was unwilling to go out free ;" then, after be- 
inof brought before the Judge, and his ear bored through with an awl,theii 
"he shall serve him [his master] forever.'^ In the 20lh and 21st verses 
of the same chapter, there is a recognition of servants as property. The 
case is, where the master smites his servant, and the servant should live 
'*a day or two," after be is smhten ; should he afterwards die, the master 
is not to be punished ; and the reason is assigned, in the latter part of tho 
21st verse — "Foj* he is his moriey" — evidently recognizing a servant as 
property. 

If Language can convey a clear and definite meaning, at all, I know 
not how it can, more imequivocally, or more plainly, present to the mind 
any thought or idea, than the xxv chapter of Leviticus, clearly, and un- 
equivocally, establishes tho fact, that slavery, or bondage, was sanctioned 
by God himself; and, that "buying, selling, holding, and bequeathing' 
slaves, as property, are regulations which were established by himself. — 
Examine the chapter from the beginning of the 39th verse, to the end < i' 
the 46th. The first five of these verses contain the special provision 
that is made for Hebrew servants, when in bondage, or when sold by an- 
other. The provision is, that they shall not be treated like bond men, but 
as hired men. They shall not continue in perpetual bondage; but they, 
and their children shall be free, in the year of jubilee. 

Widely ditferent are the regulations tor slaves. Neither they, nor their 
children, are to go out at the jubilee : but "they shall bo }Our bond men 
forever." Read the 44th, 45(h, and 46th verses — "Both thy bond men 
and thy bond maids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen thr.t 
arc round about you ; of them fhall yc buy bond men and bond wosnevi. 
JMorcover, of the children of strangers, that do sojourn among you ; of 
them shall yc buy, and of their families that are with you, which they be- 
gat in your land, and they shall be your possesfsion. And ye shall take 
tbem as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a 
possession: They shall be your bond men forever ; but over your breth- 
ren, the children of Israel, ye shall not rule, one over another, with 
rigor." 

What language can more explicitly shew, not that Cod winked at 
slavery, merely, but that, to say the lea'st, he gave a ivrittm permit to th.j 
Hebrews, then the best people in tho world, to Inty, hold, and bequeath, 
men a7id iromen, to perpetual servitude ? What, now, becomes of the po- 
sition of the Cliillicotho Presbytery, that '-slavery is ihe accursed thir./.-, 
which causes division, alienation of feeling and ali'ection, and prevents 
the extension of the Kedeemcr'.s kingdom"? Is it, indeed, a fact, that 
G!od once gave a written permission, to bis own dear people, ["j/e shall 



(22) 

l^uy,"] to do that which is in itself sinful ? Nay, to do that ^hich the 
Chillicothe Presbytery says, "is a heinous sin and scandal"? "And they 
shall be your possession," certainly means ^^holding" them. "And ye 
shall take them as an inheritance for your children ■after you" looks ao 
^luch like, not a permit, but an injunction on parents, not to neglect "gtu- 
:?jo-,'' or '■^bequeathing,'''' the bond men and bond maids, to their "children 
after them," not while the parents are living, but, ^^ajter them" — after they 
are dead, that I do, indeed, marvel, upon what authority, the Presbytery 
founded their first and second resolutions. 

God resolves, that his own children may, or rather, '■^shalV^ *^buy, rtoS' 
f63s, and hold,'" bond men and bond women, in bondage, forever. But, 
the Chillicothe Presbytery resolves, that ''^buying, selling, or holding 
f laves, for the sake of gain, is a heinous sin and scandal ;" and, "to give 
or bequeath" them, ought to subject a church member to church censure : 
'^vhile God says, "j/c shall take them as an inheritance for your children 
cflcryou," "to inherit them for a possession.''^ 

The regulations, among the Hebrews, may, perhaps, be said to have 
been instituted, not to continue, but to be abrogated, when all the cere- 
monial rites of the Jews were abolished. If this should even be admit- 
led, one position is yet clear, that there was a time, when slavery wag nof 
*'a heinous sin and scandal." 

The decalogue, not like other laws, which were published in the ordi- 
nary way, was, to signity its permanency, engraven, not written, on twr> 
tables of stone. There is, evidently, allusion made to slavery, in the 4tl) 
and lOlh commandments. [See Exodus xx, 10.] The 4th recognizes 
the authority of tiie master over the servant, in the same manner that it 
recognizes the authority of the parent over the child. "In it [the Sab- 
bath] thou shalt do no work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy 
man servant, nor thy 7naid servant.'' The tenth commandment, [17th 
verse] recognizes servants as the property of their masters, and prohib- 
its coveting that property. "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, 
thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his 7nan servant, nor his tnaid 
servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's." 

I remark, on these two commandments, if God foresaw, or intended, 
that servitude should expire with the Mosaic ritual, the authority of mas- 
ters would, probably, not be recognized in a law, intended to be perpet- 
ual ; nor would there have been, as is the fact, a recognition made of 
.servants, as property; because one of the objects of covetousnses would 
cease to exist. 

The ten commandments, in contradistinction from the othci laws of 
the Hebrews, were called "THE LAW," and thus we understand our 
Saviour, when he says, "I came not to destroy THE LAW, but to fulfil.'' 
That is, he did not inend to abolish "one jot or tittle" of THE li.VW, 
or render it any less binding, on the lives and consciences, of the chil- 
dren of men. 

Indeed, some of the very blessings or favors promised to the faiih- 
tul, are the stations of masters. The Psalmist, in his contrast. 



(23) 

of the condition of the believer and the ungodly, says, PsaJrn xVix^ 

14 — "And the upright shall have dominion over him in the morning." 

John, in the Apocalypse, says, ii, IS— "Thus sait^ the son of God," &c. 
verses 25th and 2Gth — "Hold fast till I come. And he that fvercomeih. 
and keepdh my icorks, unto the end^ to him will I give POWER over th^ 
nations." 

From 1490 years before Christ, the time when the ten commandments 
Mere given, down to the period when the Jews returned from Babylon, to 
rebuild the city and temple, there are occasional or incidental references 
made to servitude. Such as I Samuel, ix, 3, where Saul is sent, by his 
father Kish, to search for the asses that had strayed. "Take now one of 
(he servants with thee, and arise, go, seek the asses." What Saul after- 
words possessed, when he became king, we learn from what God told 
Samuel that Saul would do, in the viii, 10—16, besides taking the sons 
of his subjects, for his charioteers, and to run before his chariots, he 
would take them by thousands, and make them, under overseers, reap his 
harvest. He would give the best his people had "to his serva7its"~ 
and besides giving the tenth of what seed they had, to his servants, and 
officers, "he will" even "take your vien servants, and your maid servaiifs. 
and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his 

Passing over David, whose great hospitality required an immense nuni - 
oer ot servants, to Solomon his son, whose servants were so numerous, 
that the queen of Sheba, who came to visit him, "with a very great train," 
lost her spirit, and exclaimed, on seeing the treatment of the servants, 
and the wisdom and splendor of their master, "behold, the half was not 
told me. Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, ivhich 
stand continually before thee.'* — I Kings, x, 7, S. 

Nehemiah, under whose direction the city and temple were rebuilt, re- 
fers, in the v, 10, to his "brethreti" and his ''servants." In the iv, 19, 
speaking to the "nobles," the "rulers," and the ''rest of the people," he 
tells the latter, viz : "the people," in the 22d verse, "Let every one, with 
his servant, lodge within Jerusalem." 

It appears from vii, 67, that they had, about the time they finished 
buddmg the wall, 7337 servants, or slaves. That these 7337 slaves, were 
brought by them from Babylon, is probable, when it is compared to the 
prediction of Isaiah, made nearly three hundred years before. Isa. xiv, 
i, 2— "And the Lord shall have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose 
Israel, and set them in their own land ; and the stranger shall join with 
them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And they shall take 
them and 6i z« o- them to their place; and the house of Israel shall pos- 
sess them, m the land of the Lord, for servants and hand maids: and they 
shall take them captives, whose captives they were ; and they shall rn'le 
over their oppressors." 

The fulfilment of the above prediction, instead of being a curse, en- 
laiU'don the house of Jacob, is recognized, by Isaiah, as a blessing.— 
"And the Lord shall have ?«e?Ti/ on Jacob." Israel shall "hold."' gi 



(24) 

^•possess'''' Ihe Babylonians, for "servants and hand nniaids ;" nay, ^'Ihctj 
uliall take them a}id bring; tkttn to their place.^' Does this look like a 
•'heinous sin and scandal ?" 

I have now, in the preceding part of this section, referred you to somtr 
passages in the Old Testament, which, with others that I have not quoted, 
prove, to my mind, incontrovertably, that, under the Old Testament dis- 
pensation, and with the full and clear sanction of Jehovah, his own peo- 
ple, without "sm or scandal," might "buy, soil, hold, and bequeath" 
slaves. I say slaves, because there ts no difterence betvccn the real 
original meaning of the words slave and servant. The oiigin of the one 
is German, and the other Roman or Latin. It was the conquest of the 
Germans, over the Slavonians, in the reign of Charlemagne, that gave 
origin to the word slave. The Slavonians, that were not massacred, 
but preserved for servitude, by the Germans, were called SLAVES. So 
among the Romans, those of the conquered nation, who were preserved 
for agricultural service, especially the Serveticnis, were called servi, or 
heuvants, from the Latin word servare, to save. 

I have stated the origin of the two word»^, SLAVERY, and SERVI- 
TUDE, that there may be no confusion of ideas, arising from the use 
■of these words, in examining the New Testament on the subject. 

I will also mention, in this place, that throughout the New Testament, 
which was written in Greek, the word doulos, is used for the Greek ser- 
vant, unless a domestic eervent is spoken of, then the word oiketks is 
used. OiKETKs, however, is used, by Peter, to mean all servants, except' 
hired servants ; and riisxHos, is the term used for a Viired servant, by 
Luke. [See liuke xv, 17, 19.] "Make rae ns one of thine hired ser- 
vants," &c. See, also, Adam Clarke,* tho correctness of whose defini- 
tion cannot be questioned ; bcin^, himself, so violently opposed to 
slavery. 



SECTION ni. 



Previously to entering on the New Testament, I will note something 
of the state of slavery among the Jews, Greeks, and Romans, for som'^ 
time belore the birth of Christ, un'il the death of the Evangelist John, 
so fat as I have been able to collect it from ancient history. A rearidna- 
ble knowledge of this, will enuhle us to comprehend, more clearly, the 
meaning of Christ and his Apostles, in the passages to which I shall al- 
lude. It will, nt least, shew us this much : whether it existed to such an 
extent, and in such a form, as we might reasonably expect, would call 



See Appendix, f/olv A. 



(25) 

fortb, from Christ and bis Apostles, exprpssiotw of disaprobation of it, if 
it was, ia itself, sinful. If slavery did exist to as great, or to a greater 
extent, both before, and during the time, that Christ and his ApostUs were 
upon the earth — if the power of masters was as unlimited, or more .so — 
if the treatment of slaves was as bad, or worse — if the moral condition 
of slaves was as bad — and, if the character of masters was as bad, or 
worse, than they are at present in the United States — and if Christ and 
hia Apostles shewed no solicitude to rid the world of slavery, but con- 
tented themselves, with, merely, inculcating the duties suspended on the 
relation, without seeking to abolish the relation itselt", or inculcating it cu 
the future Apostles of the Church, to endeavor, with all diligence, to free 
the world from it, as an "accursed thing ;•' or, as Adam Clarke says, "a 
(^IIIME, for which perdition has scarcely an adequate punishment," I do 
conceive, that whatever their conduct was, should ue the conduct of 
Christ's ministers now, whether for or agai7ist slaveinj. And I do fur- 
ther conceive, that to endeavor to outstrip Christ, on this, or any other 
subject, is to be, which Solomon forl)idg, ^^righteous overmuch.''^ 

Some Abolition writers say, that slavery did not exist among the Jev.s, 
in the Apostolic day. What authority they have for that declaration, I 
know not. But by reference to the Universal History, printed in Lon- 
don, in the year 1747, Vol. X, page 665, it will be seen, that, about the 
time of Nero's death, when Vespasian's army was at Cesarea, 26 miles 
west of Jerusalem, Simon, the son of Gorias, to increase his party, against 
John and Eleazer, in Jerusalem, "promised liberty to all the slaves,'" who 
would come over to him. "•This stratagem had the desired effect ; and 
he saw his party, in a very little time, swelled into a considerable army.'" 
Tacitus says, about 20,000 slaves. 

The above shews, that slavery existed among the Jews, in the Apo.<:- 
tolic day, and, probably, had existed evtr since the days of Nchemiah, 
415 years before Christ. 

According to the same history. Vol. VI, page 324, in the days of De- 
metrius, the Phalerian, who is called the kind Governor of Athens, so 
prevalent was slavery, that, while there v/ere in Athens but 21,000 free 
citizens, there were, at the same time, 400,000 slaves ; more than nine- 
teen to one free per.son. ''They were absolutely the propertv of their 
masters, and, as such, were used as they thought tit. They were forbid- 
den to wear clothes, to cut their hair like their masters. They were de- 
barred t>om anointing or perfuming themselves, and from worshipping 
* certain Deities. They were not allowed to be called by honorable name.s 
and, in most other respects, were used like dogs. They branded them 
with letters on the forhead and elsewhere. Thereus' Temple was allowed 
them as a sanctuary," &c. "In this, and many other respects, the Athe- 
nian slaves were in a much better condition than those throughout the rest 
«f Greece." 

As the Lacedemonians, according to the laws of liycurgus, could nei- 
tiier sell nor emancipate their slaves ; consequently, "they became pro- 
4ig:o«9ly numerous, which sometimes alarjued th« Spartans, and mud« 
4 



(26) 

them devise the Cryptian law. Aristotle expressly affirms, that it was 
divised by Licurgu3." The law was for lessening the number of slaves, 
when (hey grew dangerous to the State. It was commenly executed bv 
the i^partan youth, while the slaves were at Avork. See Vol. YII, 22, 23— 
"They were marked out for slaves in their dress, their gesture, and, in 
short, every thing. They wore dogskin bonnets, sheepskin vests. They 
were forbidden to learn any liberal art, or to perform any act worthy of 
tlieir master. When their lords were so disposed, they were obliged t» 
(kink themselves drunk, that the free born Spartans might see the beastli- 
ness of that vice, in their behavior. Once a day they received a certain 
number of stripes, for fear they should torget they were slaves. And t« 
crown all, they were liable to this Gryptia, which was sure to be executed 
on all such as spoke, looked, or walked like freemen." 

The proportion of slaves, to those who were free, in Lacedemonia, aiid 
ail over Greece, was greater than at Athens.* 

So numerous were the slaves in Italy and Sicily, that, in an insurrec- 
fion, headed by Athenio and Salvius, the former commanded in his divis- 
ion, 40,000 slaves. ^Vith this army, he met Lucullus, the Roman prator, 
to whom he gave battle. Atler this, Athenio's army increased, until it 
was found necessary to send the main body of the Roman army, under 
M. Aquilius, to conquer the slaves. A battle ensued, and "both parties 
lUHinlained it with equal vigor, till the two Generals met." Aquilius, hv- 
mg large and robust, killed Athenio ; and "thus put an end to a rebellion 
which lasted four years, and co?l the Republic near a million of slaves.'* — 
See Yol. XIII, page 20, 21, Universal History. 

Such, also, was the condition of the slaves, previous to this insurrec- 
tion, that, according to Columella, [Lib. I, Cap. 6,] 60,000 of them, in 
Sicily and Italy, were chained and confined to work in dungeons, Thet.e 
were released by Eunus and Athenio, at the time of the insurrection. — 
Ergastula, or work shops, in which slaves were chained to their work, are 
tipoken of by Livi, as well as by Columella, as being very common all 
over Sicily and Italy. 

Tacitus, [Yol. I, B* in. Sec. 63, Murphy,] states, that Tiberius, the 
contemporary of Christ, writing to the Senate, on the subject of the 
growing luxuries, says, "Must I retrench the number of sla\-js, so great, 
ai 2^rescnt, that every family seems a ittition in itself?'^ Yol. II, B. iv. 
Sec. 27 — "At that time, the slaves greatly outnumbered the freeborn 
citizens." 

Claudius, the contemporary of the Apostles, according to Gibbon. 
I Vol. I,] took the most accurate census of the Roman Empire, that ever 
was taken ; and, according to that census, there were twenty millions ol 
free citizens, forty millions of provincials, and sixty millions of stav»s ^ 



*Sce Milford'S Greece. 



(27) 



that is, three slaves to ore free person, and twenty four slaves to one now 

' V ,r ^"Ir^^ ^'*^^^ ' estimating the present slave population, at two an.l 
a half millions. 

In the reign of Tiberius, one Caius Ccccilius Isidorus died, leaving to 
his heirs four thousand, one hundred and sixteen slaves.— Universal ]%- 
tory, Vol. XIII, page 536. 

Athenus, the author of the Deipnosophista, who lived in the reign of the 
f.rnperor Commodus towards the close of the second century, fu. His.. 

loono ' r^' oA^nf/'; ^^'^^ '"^">' "^ 'he Romans had 5,000, .orn.- 
J 0,000, and some 20,000 slaves. 

So numerous were the slaves of Demetrius Pompeius, that a daily re- 
tum as ,n an army, was made to him. Pliny complained of the legions- 
tor f^f ""'" '" "'r ' ^°"rf' '"^ "^ ^"'"S ^^''g^d '« "^^ ^ nomencU- 
ber. w.r"''''" !• ?'• ,^^'!?'' "^ h''^ -^"tiquitie^, attest, that in Roiiu-, 
fhere was a continual market for slaves, and that the slaves were com- 
monly exposed for sale naked. John, in tlie Apocalypse, .peaks of the 

*'r:e?^'V^H"^'°"-"^""SP"^ "^'^^^ mercha'n'diz'e 'to consist of 
Slaves. — Chap, xxui, 13. 

,)>p'^.W '''^r^' ^^^^ ''^'"7 ^^''^^^ *° ^ "^"^h gr^^'e^ extent, before, at 

United States.'"'^' ^''" '^' ^P°'^'''' ^'>' '^^^ '^ "^^^' ^^'^''^ '" '^''^ 

corl^ni'^fn ^^ treatment already mentioned, be it remembered, thafao- 

tues wol "n' ; ^^lu' \^" 7' ^'Sh'^' ^^^'"^^^^^ ^'^^ his superior vir- 
tues would support neither his slaves, dogs, nor horses, after they grew 

Irve ?o"d"oth '"tT''' ^hen^selves, but turned them a;ay, and le't Then 
^o the vilf nf th ^^V^P^^^l °^ the law, subjecting the lifi of the slav. 
iVin K . '"^''^'' ^"d^hichwas not repealed till the rei-n of 
Idnan, shews its existence in the Apostolic day ^ 

I« the reign of Nero, [Tacitus Lib. XIII, Sec. 32 \n 1 a decree 

cetr'hoH I'^'T *^^^ f r'T^^^'^ ^'^^^«' ^^ whethe'; ^ l;""^. 
.-ent.hould suffer death, if their master was found murdered Under 

the Roman Pr^tor. were executed, because their master was found mur- 

t.7f5.i'j:;rin?;'''"n 't ^';^'}'''^ ^^server. whole number GoS, qu.- 
l!l J^^enal, will throw light on the treatment of slaves. '• U i,n 

ous angry woman caUs out to h.r htisband, and savs, '.H;ve a or < 
l.xed for that slave " Rut her hu.band remonstrate.s-''\vhut cri.nc 1 n " 

i.s accuser I Let h.m have u hearing-no delay can be too loner nt.r^'- 

tve L'n ' "^'"/' r'''"'t '' «"^ 'he mistress rc,oins^"F«;i , 
s a e hen a «an ? .Suppose he has done nething-let it be so. Jt s „ 

V^o^'^l'^''^J^''^'^;;''^-.^'-^^; l^tlhat be forareaio"-'- 
crZ^ed'^U i' , r ?'^'" ""f^"""^ -"""'^hed in Rome, were ic.,a/h, 

1> .nn. ' "''' ''^ Constantine.- The following are -ive n from 

f' edtrrr'""r" "; ^'T"" ^''^"•'•es. .^If her hu^sband" ha n" 
l^'-ted her, [the mi6tress,J the house keeper is undone ; the tire-womlw 



(28) 

is obli-red to strip ; tli6 chairman is forced to suffer for anotker'.? fault. 
On one the feruk'S ara broken ; another is red with the lash, another with 
the thong. While the lashinrr goes on, she [the mistress] daubs her face, 
Ustens to her friends, or examines the gold of an embroidered garment. 
The beating continues while she reads over the transactions of a large 
journal. It continues till those are tired who inflict it. Then she thun- 
ders out, "GO— your examination is finished." Vide 474—484. Her 
hair is dressed by an unhappy slave. "Why is this curl so high?" The 
lash immediately punishes this abomuiable crime, about a curled lock. — 

Vide 389—492. . , ^ , ,.,,<• 

"It was customary," says Galen, "to punish the member that had ol- 
fended. If the slave was a glutton, his belly must suffer ; if a tell tale, 
his tongue must be cut out. The slaves were s;cneralhj sligmati7.ed, or 
branded with a hot iron, and ink poured into the furrows, that the inscnp- 
tion mi'^ht be more conspicuous." Quoting also from Plautus—^'W he« 
slaves were beaten, they were to be hung up with weights tied to their 
feet, that they might not move thorn." 

In short, the masters having unlimited power «ver the slaves, we might, 
if history was silent about the treatment, without any danger of mistake, 
infer, from the character of the Romans, that the treatment the slaves re- 
ceived, was without a parallel, in point of cruelty, among the worst mas- 
ters in the United States. , ^ », , , .• u^ 
The character of the Romans, and of all heathen nations, can b« 
learned, with the greatest certainty, from Paul, in his epistle to t..e Ro- 
mans Chap, i, 28— 31— "And even as they [the Romans] did not like 
to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobatr 
mind, to do those things that are not convenient ; being filled with all un- 
righteousness, fornication, wickedness, cevetousness, maliciousness ; lull 
of cnvv, murder, debate, deceit, malignity ; whisperers, backbiters, ha- 
ters of' God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evd things, disobe- 
dient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natu- 
ral affection, implacable, unmerciful." •,».,•» 

Thus we learn that the character of masters, in the Apo«tohc day. was 

of ihe very worst kind. , i i .u i „ 

rhat the moral condition of slaves was extremely bad, in the absence 
g: other evidence, we might infer from the partioulunty of I aul to ritu5, 
'oi.hop of Crete. He enjoins it on Titus to teach slaves "to be obedi- 
ent to their own masters," &c. "not answering again, not purloining, but 
sliewinrrgoodfidelitv."-Titus ii, 0,10. Slaves were so exceedingly 
thievish, that fur, the Latin term for thief, was ."Synonymous with s.rvus, 

the Latin term for slave.* . . ^ . , , „ .„,■ 

Vir.ril, the Roman poet, says, "Quid domini facient, audent cum faha 
lares J^ riautus says, speaking of Blavcs-"FKm entis ambo. you ar. 



. r. o • , * ^ v:^,r^l r^-J ^11 line le. ^ee al.to AinSHcrth's 
*See Servius' note on Vtrgxt, iviJ. -iM "«« aw- 

DictioiKiry. 



(29) 

both Blaves. Terrence calls slaves ••manipulus /«»•«»«,■' a bundle of 
slaves. Plautus says, "tune trium literarum homo?" artnat thou a man 
of three letters? viz : fur, a servant or slave. 

From all the above references to the existence— the extent— the treat- 

n>ent the moral condition of slaves, and the character Paul gives of the 

masters, the following facts are evident, viz : 

1. That slavery did exist, not for a short time, only, but for a loBg 

duration. 

2. That there were, at the time Christ and his Apostles were on earth, 
in *Rome, twenty four slavei, to where there is one u»w in the United 

3. That the moral condition of Roman slaves was worse thaa that of 
the slaves in the United States. 

4. That the power of the niaster over the slave, was more un!imit«d 
tken than it is now. 

6. That the exercise of that power was extended to such cruelties, as 
to be unparallelled in the United States. 

6. That the character of the masters, was such as to insure the most 
unheard of cruelties. 

If, then, such are (he fa«ts, of which there can be no doubt, at the 
very lime that Christ, Peter, James, aad John were preaching among the 
Jews, and Paul among the Gentiles— And if slavery, as in the belief 
•f Adam Clarke, "is an enormity and crime, for ichich perdition has scarce' 
ly an adequate state of punishmenV — If it be, as the Chillicothe Pres- 
bytery say, ".'2 sin that loves the darlitiess, and cannot endure the light ; 
the accursed thing, that causes the decline of vital godliness— divino7i^ — 
aUe?uition of feelings and affection towards the brethren, and the littk 
success attending the means of grace ;^* nay — ''a heinous sin and scan- 
dal"^ — then, surely then, it will not be presuming too much to expect, at 
least, very strong expressions of disapprobation, from Christ and his Apos- 
tles on the subject. Shall we find them silent on a subject that is "a 
lieinous sin and scandal V Shall we find them bearing no direct testi- 
mony against that which will "prevent the success of the means of grace ?" 
That is, that which will render unsuccessful their own preaching ? Shall 
they, who particularized so tar as expressly to condemn "foolish talking 
and jesting which are not convenient," omit their testimony against "a 
sin that loves the darkness, and causes the decline of vital godliness ?" 
Will an eminent Apostle record, that he has "not shunned to declare eill 
the counsel of God,'' and yet not declare that to be a "crime, for which 
perdition has scarcely an adequate state of punishment'?'" — Surely, it is 
not presumable, that they would be silent on the subject, leaving it to 
be inferred, merely, from the general laws of the gospel kingdom. 

If, however, on the examination of what Christ and his Apostles have 
said on the subject, it will appear, that they never intermeddled with the 
relation of master and slave, farther than to inculcate the duties of both ; 
and, if it will appear, that it is not inculcated on the master to abolish 
sfavery, then, methinks, the language of the Chillicoth« Presbytery may 



(30) 

i*e more appropriately applied to abolition thas to slavery — "This deaJly 
enemy of our peace and prosperity — It is a sin that loves the darkness 
and cannot bear the light — An enemy that is unable to stand before the 
sword of the spirit, and the remnant of God's people, girded with the pan- 
oply of heaven, ar>d trusting in the God of Zion for victory." 



SECTION IV. 



I will now endeavor to set before you some of those portions of the 
New Testament which brought my mind to its present conviction. J 
shall, in this section, confine myself to what Christ and Peter say, and 
shall begin with a passage, recorded by the Evangelist Luke, where the 
Centurion is said to have had a sick doulos or slave. The Centurion, 
hearing of Jesus, sent the Elders of the Jews unto him, "beseeching 
him that he would come and heal his [doulos] servant." The Elders 
went and testified to the worth of the Centurion, "saying, that he was 
uHjrthy," &c. "Then Jusus went with them." "And when he was now 
not far from the house, the Centurion sent friends to him, saying unto 
him. Lord trouble not thyself, for I am not worthy that thou should enter 
under my roof; wherefore, neither thought I myself worthy to come unto 
thee : but say in a word, and my" doulos, slave, or "servant shall b« 
healed. For I also am a man set under authority, having under rae sol- 
diers : and I say unto one go, and he goeth, and to another come, and he 
cometh, and to my [doulos] servant do this, and he doeth it." — Luke vii^ 
2 — 8. In the above history, furnished by Luke, Jesus is sent for to cure 
a slave. The messengers sent, were the "Elders of the Jews" Instead 
of reproaching the Centurion with the sin of having slaves, they said, "Ae, 
I's woW/iy," as if slavery was a matter of so commmon occurrence, that 
even the Elders of the Church took no notice of it, as an exceptionable 
matter. The message borne to Jesus, from the Centurion, by the 
"friends," besides an acknowledgement of his unworthiness, and his be- 
ing a military officer, is a plain, palpable acknowledgement, that he was a 
slave holder — "and to mj doidos do this and he doeth it " This is evi- 
dently told in a manner that shews, and did shew to all the company, 
that his conscience was entirely at ease on the subject of slave holdin>^. 

His humble and teachable frame of mind, would certainly have borne 
more than a mere hint, trom Je^us, on the subject: and certainly, ac- 
cording to the Chillicothe views, Jesus would have given him more tl}an 
a hint. As a Divine Teacher, he would, at least, guard against leaving, 
on the minds of the Elders and friends, and the other company present, 
the impression, that slave holding was not inconsistent with the charac- 
ter of a BELIEVER. Did the Saviour tell the company, that however 
humble and penitent, and worthy, in other respects, the CenfuriA^v was, 



(3i) 

he WM ^xt giulty of a crime "that ought to be made a term of coromwn-- 
loa ; VYhat testimony should we expect him to have Luke record, (hat 
he hmiself gave of a man, guilty, by his own confession, of hvin» dailv 
m the commission of that which was a "heinous sin and scandal ?" W'« 
are not left to conjecture as to the testimony which Jesus left, or mifiht 
i^are of the s ave holder. Luke records the following, as the views 
which Chnst had of the slave holder-verse 9.-"When Jesus heard 
hese things he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto 
the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so g-reat 
Jtttih, no not in Jsrae/." ^ 

^ Here it is remarkable, that, among those who followed him, fand 
h appears that Luke was one,) the slave holder't^ faith was the greatest. 

buch a character, does not appear to me, consistent with the idea of 
slavery being what youi Presbytery say it is. It has not been Christ'.s 
usual method, to leave his followers ignorant of their duty.— It is not 
presumable that he would leave so humble a man as the Centurion, and 
vrhose habits ot education had accustomed him to view slavery as no 
cnme. Ignorant of his duty, if abolition was approved by Christ. Nor 
does It seem to me probable, that on other occasions, as well as the 
above where he rnaks use of the word slaves, (douloi, not mistkor,) he 
would leave his followers in danger of concluding, that slavery was ne 
•sm. His high approbation of the Centurion, was certainly calculated to 

ikil r^'^f 'T' *^''* ''^^^ ^°^^'^S ^"^ Christianity, were not incon- 
sistent with each other. 

The language of Christ, on the above occasion, as on all others, shews 
to me clearly, that it is not the province of Christianity, nor at all con- 
fl ? "■»'!^J'^'-'PJ"t. to interfere with any of the existing relations of 
. fe, for which, and to regulate which, either Christ or his Apostles, have 
prescribed regulations. The duties between ruler and subjects, parents 
and children, husband and wife, (not u-n-e.,) masters and slaves, are 
clearly prescnbeo. There are no prescribed regulations for polieamv— 
A iiishop must not be a poligamist-he must be the husband of one «dfe, 
not txco, three, or twenty. Paul or Christ does not, (like John Wesley,*) 
make slave holding inconsistent with the office of a Bishop, or any other 
ott-ce in his Church. 

It is the province of Christianity, to press home on all men, in their re- 
spective stations and relations, the duties belonging to those stations.— 
Ihus It provides for removing the evils, not by destroying the existence 
ot the relations, m order to get clear of the evils, but by attending to the 
duties of the relations, ^ ^ 

Owing to our frailties, evils are incident to every relation of lite • but 
VI "'"^«;^^V"'*'""''''' r' '^""^ philosophy, to destroy the relation, 
Lhl. -^wi ^'? ^'''^. ^" ^''^'' '^he relation is not properly charge- 
able with the evils. Marriage is not chargeable with adultery, notw.fh- 



(33) 



stai»din2 adultery cannot exist without marriage. Diaobedierice to pa- 
rents, cLnot exist, if you abolish the relation of parent and cbld. M.s- 
terVcannot. according to the command of Christ, -render to their douloi 
Ir slaves 'hat which is just and equal," if you abolish the relation for thej, 
they wm cease to be masters. Abolish any of the relations, for which 
regulations are provided in the New Testament, and, in effect, you abol- 
ish some of the laws of Christ. . 
The total and entire silence of James and John, on the relation ot 
master and slave, is a presumptive evidence, that the spirit did not leach 
them that slavery was a sin— nor aboliUon a duty. • r *v. 

The entire silence of Peter on the subject on the occasion of tho 
lu^lian Centurian, cannot be accounted for, on the principle of the ChilU- 
cothe Presbytery, that slave holding is a heinous sin and scandal 

Examine the passage, and one of two convictions must, as I concede, 
rest onTe mind! and^that mevitably-viz : That either the -anapat^^^ 
«f slaves, is not a christian duty, or the Angel who spake to Coinelms 
(peaking with reverence,) told a palpable lie. The passage you will find 
n the Acts of the Apostles, xi, i-^S-"There was a .nan in Cesa ea 
called Cornelius, a Centurion of the band, called the Italian band, a de- 
vou man, and oie that feared God, w.th all his house, whu^h gave much 
alms to the people, and prayed to God ^^^Yi^ "V^^;/" OD ^"^^^^^^^ 
dently, about the ninth hour of the day an ANGEL 01' GOU comm 
in to him and saying unto him, Cornelius ; and when he looked on h.m 
".was aV:Slan'd raid, what is it Lord^ And he -i.^ un^o h.m Uiy 
prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. IJow 
iend me« to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose f .^"7^, ^^/JJ^ide 
he lodgeth with one Simon, a tanner, wtaeJiouse is by tli^ s^ «'de, 
HE SHALL TELL THEE WHAT THOU OlGHl 10 no. 
And when the Angel which «Pa^^,,^^;?Conjehus was departed. 
CALLED TWO OF HIS HOUSEHOLD SElil AJ\2S, ^nda 
devout soldier of them ihat waitedon him contmually ; and when he had 
declared all these things unto them, he sent the^iio Joppa. 1 hat i e 
ter was to omit nothing that was commanded of God, we learn fmm the 
.T3d v«se. Cornelius, on the commencement of his mterv lew w ith 1 e- 
ter, says, "Now, therefore, are we all here present before G^od to hear 
ALL THINGS THAT ARE COMMANDED THEE 01 GOD. 

Now notice, the messengers, whom Cornelius sent, were, two ot them, 
oiketes, domestic slaves, (not m.sthoi hired servants.) They were real!> 
slaves. Hence, it is manifest that Cornelius was, at the tinie, a slave 
holder. Sending two slaves after Peter the Apostle thereby ^eca- 
acQuamted with the fact, that he was a slave holder. The Angel nad 
; Xousiv told Cornelius, that"/. [Peter] fall ^'V'",f 1 utranHh 
10 do- That Cornelius expected to hear trom Peter, /^^^^ru h and th. 
whole truth, without any important omission, we learn from ^^^^9)^^ 
ion that he, as well as the others present, were met "/» icm JiL.i^ 
THIKGSthatar. commanded thee of God.^' Not sam. ^/^j^.^^J" 
"ALL THINGS." Bear in miad, that probably Peter was not ignorant 



(33) 

ihat Italy and Sicily were the most celebrated slave markets, then in the 
world — celebrated for working many of the slaves in chains, so numerous 
(hat at one time Eunus and Athenio released 60,000 from their chains. 
Bear in mind also the treatment usually given to slaves, of vvhich Peter 
was not ignorant. Bearing these things in your mind, read the remain- 
der of the chapter, and attend closely to what Peter told Cornelius, and 
you will find he never mentioned to him emancipation, much less aboU- 
tion. He passed over the subject in silence, and left the Italian, to go 
back to slave holding Italy, as ignorant that slavery waa a hcnious sin 
and scandal, as he was before his interview with this special messenger 
«f God, who was to tell him all his duty. 

Peter did tell him what he ought to do; but, the presumption is, that 
God did not instruct Peter to tell Cornelius, to do a thing which would 
■render null and void some of his own commandments. He did not in- 
-struct him to be an emancipator or abolitionist. If ever slavery required 
measures to be adopted to abolish it, this was the very time If the num- 
ber and sufferings of two and a half millions of slaves in the United 
States, with all the influence which Christianity has over the minds of the 
masters, imperiously demand that the present Apostles of the Church, 
fliiould raise their warning voice to abolish it — surely— surely—when there 
were sixty millions, (twenty four to one now in the' United States,) under 
nsasters uninfluenced by Christianity, and as Paul says, "without nat- 
ural aflection, implacable, unmcvciJ'uV — it behooved Peter not to neg- 
lect to testify in favor of abolition, when so favorable an opportunity of- 
lered, as was presented in the case of the humble and teachable 
italian. 

The omission of Peter to teach the doctrme of emancipation or abo- 
lition, on this occasion, looks as if the spirit did not view such doctrines 
to be the ''doctrines of our Lord Jesus Christ, nor according to Godli- 
ness.*' That this is not a forced inference, will appear, if you consult 
his first circular, or general epistle, which is addressed "to the stran</ers 
scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithymla," 
a region where slavery prevailed to that extent, with the knowledge of the 
Apostle, that he does not omit to address them separately, ii, 18 '•Ser- 
vants [oiketes] be subject to your masters, with all fear, not only to the 
gocd and gentle, but also to the froward." The slaves, in many in- 
stances, having froward masters, would as he records, probably be callcj 
"to endure grief, suffering wrongfully, for conscience toward God;" nev- 
wtheless, they must "take it patiently," being the behavior "that is ac- 
ceptable with God ;" "for," says he, "even hereunto wore ve called."-— 
The whole epistle, (in which the Apostle couples the relation of man and 
his brother, man and his God, subject and king, servant and master, wife 
ana husband,) is evidently intended to be a "means of grace," especially 
in the slave holding regions to which it is addressed. Now, if the Apos". 
tie knew, what the Chiliicothe Presbytery say they believe, viz • that 
slavery in the United States, with all the mild influence which christiauitv 
exercises over the conununity, will, neverlbele^s, "cause the deciioe oV 

9 



(34) . 

% ital godliness — divisions — alienation of feelings and affection towards 
tlie brethren," and cause the ^hneans of grace and the efforts of the 
Church for the extension of the Kedeemer's kingdom,^' to have *^biU little 
anccess^' — I say, if the Apcstle knew all this, why, instead of placing it in 
company with the other honorable relations, did he not, at once, lay thf. 
uxe at the root of the tree 1 Why, when he touched upon the subject at 
;iil, did he not put his plain, palpable veto upon it, instead of writing 
seven verses of his epistle, regulating its duties ? "Why did he write his 
epistle at all. when he knew that slavery would cause it to have "but lit- 
tle success, as a means of grace," unless he had taken care tirst to veto 
.slavery? The probability, to me, is, that if Peter had taken up his pen 
TO write to "the strangers scattered through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, 
Asia," &c. and to teach them that "airimig at the speedy atid entire re- 
moval of this sinfrom the Church " was verily consistant with the word oi' 
God, the spirit of inspiration would have checked him and told him, in 
the language of one v.ho spoke as never maa spake, "In vain do ye teach 
lor doctrines the commandments of men ;^^ and would have told him, alse, 
us he told Paul, on the same subject, that he who would teach such doc- 
trine was "proud, knowing nothing, but debating about questions and 
;>trifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railing, evil surmisings, 
perverse disputings of ??ip?r of corrupt minds and destiiv.ti of truth,'' 



SECTION V. 



Having set before you, in the last section, the convictions produced or< 
my mmd, by the preaching of Christ and Peter, I will next refer von to 
Paul. 

As Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles, his field of labor and travels 
was more extensive ; he had an opportunity of becoming more intimately 
ticquainted with the real state of slaves and slavery, as it existed in his 
day, than any of the other Apostles. His residence, for a time, at Cor- 
i:tth, in the family of Aquila and Priscilla, who were driven by Claudius 
from Rome, [Acts xviii, 2,] shews that he was the Contemporary of Clan- 
dins. This Claudius, as Gibbon states in his first volume, as already 
nipulioned in section iii, ascertained, that in the Roman Empire, there 
■were sixty millions of slaves. Paul, no doubt, knew the number of 
slaves — he knew that they trebled the number of free citizens — He 
must have seen them at Rome exposed for sale, daily, in a naked con- 
dition. 

He probably knew of "the subterranean dungeons in sicily and Italy. 
uhere thousands and thousands of slaves were chained 'together and com- 
^jelled to wear out life in hopeless toil and sufiering." Travelling as 
murh as he did, he probably saw hundreds on that "doleful island, at the 



(35) 

mouth of the Tiber," of old worn-out slaves, sent there by their masters, 
after they were of no service, and left to perish. 

He [)robably saw many "suspended by the arms, with a weight hanging 
to their feet, while the thong was applied to them." He could not have 
failed of seeing, "all over Italy, crosses erected, and slaves nailed to 
them, oftentimes, for no crime, but merely to gratify the will of the ca- 
pricious masters and mistresses." He, no doubt, saw them "torture; 
or broken on the wheel, to compel them to confess crimes, of which the; 
were not guilty." 

He might have seen them, "not daring to walk, talk, look, or act, iik* 
freemen — branded, pinched, starved, beaten, mutilated, tormented, torn by 
wild beasts, and murdered, without appeal, trial, or any possibility of Te- 
dress" — but in the possession, and under the entire, irresponsible control 
of masters, who, according to his own shewing, were "full of envy, mur- 
der, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, de- 
spiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 
without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural atfectioo, im- 
placable snmerciful." 

Thus we see, that if any man was acquainted with the evils of slaveri;, 
Paul was — If any man had a feehng heart, he had. With such a knowl- 
edge of the number of sulTerers — with such a knowledge, (not by hear 
say,) of the amount and extent of cruelty, — with such a knowledg of the 
character of ihe masters — and wiih such a feeling heart as "to weep with 
those that wept," can it be be possible that such a man, would, or could, 
disregarding this wretched condition of three-tburths of the inhabitants 
of the world, call to witness, the Elders and members of the Church ut 
Ephesus, that he had not shunned to declare unto them ^iLL ihe ccu,^- 
sel gf God, and yet omit to declare unto them, plainly and distinctly, in 
the language of the Chillicothe Presbytery, or in language still more 
clear, that ^'aiming at ihe speedy and entire remcval of this sin Jrcin the 
Clurrch,'' or the world, is verihj consistent icith ihe word of Godl Did 
Paul shun to make the above declaration, or any other to that purport ? — 
He certainly did. And why did he ? Evidently, because he knew ihw' 
it was not^the counsel of God, to abolish a relation, in order to get rid c t 
the evils incident to that relation. Paul says, that "the spirit speaketh 
expressly," (about abolition,) "that in the latter times, some shall depart 
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils ; 
speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron, 
forbidding to ma-rry,^' &c. 

^ Weishop, of Germany, Robespeare, Muratt, and all the illuminati of 
France, taught, and succeeded in reducing to practice, the abolition doc- 
trine, being, in their estimation, the only legitimate mode of eflectually 
removing the evils of Government. The result showed, that they "gave 
heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." The licentiousness 
of the female character, in France, for many years, is a true test of the 
effects of the Rights of Women, written by Godwin, one of the High 
Priests of the abolition of marriage. 



(86) 

However great the ov-ils of Government, in the days of the Apostle, ufi» 
der Nero, it was not the teachings of the spirit to abolish Government, to 
get rid of the evils. However numerous and grievous the sufferings of 
children, whose parents were "without natural affection," "implacable, 
unmerciful," the spirit did not teach, that children should be emancipated 
from the control of their parents, in order to relieve them from the cnjel- 
ties of "unmerciful" parents. . However frequently wives, in sorrow and 
in silence, suffered from tho wormwood, gall, bitterness, moroseness, 
and ill nature of husbands, yet, "forbidding to marry," in order to be re- 
lieved from the evils of marriage, the "spirit expressly" says is a "doctrine 
of deviis," So, in like manner, although the Apostle, in his day, eaw 
slaves frequently suffer the most unparalleled cruelties, yet it eetms that 
the spirit did not expressly, or even indirectly, say to him, that it was ver- 
ily consistent with the word of God, to aim at the speedy and entire re- 
moval of slavery. If we examine the teachings of the spirit, through 
i'aul, on this subject, if we do not find that abolitionists have departed 
from tho faith — if they have not given heed to seducing spirits, and doc- 
trines of devils — if the spirit, by Paul, does not say, that they are "men 
of corrupt minds, and destitute of truth," "supposing that gain is godli- 
ness," or, as Gill explains it, "gaining h point is godiin«3s," I am greatly 
mistaken. 

I will now more particularly call your attention to all the passages in 
the writings of Paul, which, so far as I have been able to find, have ret- 
erenco to the subject. I will take them up in the order in which I find 
.horn in the New Testament — those to the Corinthians and Epheeians 
for the present. 

The first I find is in his epistle to the Corinthians, vii, 20, 21. In the 
i7th verse, the Apostle discourages a disposition to change. His aim, 
;ideed, appears to be so far above little mortal quibblings, about our cir- 
'Mjmstanccs on earth, that he endeavors to raise the minds of the Corinth- 
vins above theiri. Their time was so short upon earth, that so much so- 
licitude about their own, or the earthly circumstances of others, was far 
beneath the high aim of christians.— "For this I say, brethren, the time 
19 short, it remaineth that both they that have wiycs, bo as though fnoy 
had none ; and they that weep, as though they wept not ; and they that 
rejoice, as though they rejoiced not ; and they that buy, as though they 
possessed not ; and they that use dhis world as not abusing it ; for the 
tushion of this worid passeth away." — 29 — 31. Hence in the 17th 
verse, he says, "But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord 
hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all thr 
Churches. "-—Then in the 20th verse, he says, "Let every man abide in 
the same calling v/herrin he was called." That is, be not over solicit- 
ous to change your circumstances — I am no stranger to the situation and 
circumstances of slaves — I know tho cruelty of masters — I know, by ex- 
perience, what it is to be beaten — nevertheless, let your aim be higher 
than to let any of these things move you. 21 — "Art t]iou called, being 
a fdoulos] servant ? care not for it ; but if thou mayst be made free, use 



(37) 

it rath«r." That is, if, while you aie a slave, you are called of God, 
give yourself no uneasiness, on account of your slavery. Be not soli- 
citous about it ; but, however, while you or I should not be solicitous 
about emancipation, or make it a promment aim, nevertheless, a state of 
freedom, on the whole is the best ; so that "if thou mayst be made free, 
u»e it rather." Take it in preference to being under the absolute control 
of a man, who may hinder you from hearing the word. Give yourself no 
urwasiness about it, however — and why? Becase — 22 — "He that is 
called in the Lord, being a [doulos] servant, is the Lord's free man — 
Likewise, also, he that is called, being free, is Christ's [doulos] servant." 
We are both in happy circumstances ; we are both under the absolute 
control of a good master — being his douloi, or slaves ; we are, in that 
sense, in a state of equality. Let us serve him joyfully. It is hia to 
command and ours to obey. Let us not torment our minds, with the 
whim, that we ought to have our own way, or that it is a sore evil under 
the sun, to be under the absolate control of another, unless it is the devil. 
I^t iv8 not calculate on a fieedom from the obligations of the Laws of 
Christ — Why? "Because you are bought with a price." "Be not y« 
the servants of men." — 23. Christ purchased you with hia own 
blood, when ye were the slaves of the devil, and when, by "receiving for 
doctrines the commandments of men," ye were in your principles and 
religious notions the douloi or slaves of men. "Be ye not therefore thr 
douloi, or servants of men." Let therefore no man, or body of men 
have absolute dominion over your principles. Be not their slaves ; but 
be in your principles the slaves or servants of Christ. If your bodies 
are in slavery to men, let your minds not be. Let your principles bow 
to him alone, who is the wisdom of God, and who has revealed his will 
in the holy scriptures. Take the scriptures as your only infallible rule of 
faith and practice ; and if you find that men "speak not according to 
them, there is no truth in tliem." But as to your civil situation — 24 — 
"Brethren, let every man wherein he is called, therein abide with God." 
That is, let every man live to God, in whatever situation he is placed by 
Providence. Your secular condition is not changed. If you are a slave, 
your condition is not changed, for you are still bound by the law of Christ, 
to "be subject to your masters, not only to the good and gentle, but also 
to the froward."— Pet. ii, 18. 

"It is very likely," (Adam Clarke very justly remarks,) "that some of 
the slaves at Corinth, who had been converted to Christianity, had been 
led to think, that their christian privileges, absolved them from the neces- 
sity of continuing s/ofcs ; or at least brought them on a level with their 
christian masters. It was, therefore, a very proper subject for the Apos- 
tle to interfere in ,• and to his authority, the persons concerned, would, 
doubtlessly, respectfully bow." 

The subject of slavery, is nowhere, that I have obs0r^•ed, touched by 
fhe Apostle, as a subject, except in this that I have been examining. — 
who now, upon a candid examination of the wholo passage, can find, 
from it, any support for the doctrine of abolition ? That I have given 



(38) 

the whole passage its plain simple meaning, I have no doubt. Scott's 
view of the Apostle's direction to slaves — "if thou mayst be made free, 
nse it rather" — is, that "as it was a common case that converted" slaves 
"generally had heathen masters, who would frequently deprive them of 
religious advantages, especially meeting with their brethren on the Lord's 
day," &c. therefore, "if they had a fair opportunity of obtaining their 
freedom, they would do well to embrace it." 

The Apostle speaks on the subject of slavery, as if its being a blessing 
or curse depended on the character of the master. If the devil is the 
master, he is so bad a master, that the poor slave has no alternative left, 
but to look to Jesus Christ to buy him. Jesus buys him, and he is now 
the property of another master ; "ye are not your own, ye are bought with 
a price." He approves of the relation itself, when it exists between a 
good master and a faithful slave. Bad masters make the situation of 
their slaves, a subject of commisseration. Hence Paul puts forth his en- 
«?rgies, not in sundering the relation of master and slave, but in making 
the Gospel exercise its benign influence on both; but especially, on the 
master. 

In a word, as I understand the Apostle, he teaches that the Gospel plan, 
on this subject, is, first let your aim be to make the master good, and 
then his commands to his servants will be good. Let the commands 
be good, and, I confess, I cannot, for my soul, discover how it is oppress- 
ive to obey. 

The Apostle saw more of the evils arising from the wickedness of 
masters, (or if you choose the evils of slavery,) than any of us havo 
seen ; but the Apostle knew that it was as bad philosophy as it was bad 
Christianity, to murder the relation in order to get rid of the evils. It 
was killing the goose to get possession at once" of the golden eggs. — 
Hence he did not interfere with the subject of the relation, but in the sub- 
sequent part of his epistle, pressed home ©n masters and slaves their rel- 
ative duties, with the same earnestness that he pressed home the relative 
duties of parent and child, husband and wife ; and, which is peculiarly 
striking, without manifesting, scarcely, any more dislike to the one rela- 
tion than to the others. He ut least placed, on all occasions, slavery, or 
the relation of master and slave, in very respectable company. 

The Apostle incidentally refers to doulos, or seryant, in xii, 13 — 
"Whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be [doulos] bond or free." 
And in Gallatians, iii, 28 — "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is nei- 
ther [doulos] bond nor free." In these passages, the Greek word, tranb- 
lated bond, is the same word that is used by Paul, where it is translated 
servant, notmisthos, the hired servant. Paul never used the Greek word 
tmdrapodon, so far as I recollect, except in I Timothy, i, 10 — and there 
it is translated men'Sieahrs, against which the Jewish laws, which ad- 
mitted of slavery, are clear and explicit. So also are the laws of the 
.slave holding States. 

Leaving now the only passage in which Paul touched directly on 
slavery, I will direct your attention to the special regulations ho records 



( 39 ) 

on the subject, and first examine his epistle to the Epesians. This epis- 
tle was written when Nero was Emperor, A. D. 61, and when slavery 
prevailed all over the Roman Empire. It was written by Paul while at 
Rome, and daily witnessing the slave market, and familiar with all the 
circumstances of slavery. It was sent by the hand of Tychicus, who 
was accompanied by the slave Ornesimus, to the Church at Ephesus, 
the then metropolis of Asia Minor. The members of the Church, he 
says, "were in time part Gentiles." They were composed of freemen 
and slaves. He did not deem it sufficient to inculcate the genaral law 
of Christ— viz : "Do unto others as you would ihey should do unto you" 
—and leave them to infer from that, what was right and what was wrong. 
He seems, from the manner in which he particularizes, to aim at turning 
their attention to the sins which prevailed in Ephesus, and to which, they 
in.tmie past, were addicted. He aims, iv, 14— "That henceforth they 
should be no more children, tossed to and fro, with every wind of doc- 
trine, by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness." 

He tells them "Put away lying—speak every man truth with his neiali- 
bor."-~"Be ye angry and s-n not."— "Let him that stole steal no more." 
-^"Let no corrupt commui. .ation proceed out of your mouth." — "Grieve 
not the spirit."— "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, 
and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice." "Be kind, 
tender hearted, and forgiving."— "Walk in love."-"But fornication and all 
nncleanness, let it not be once named among you— neither filthiness nor 
foolish talking, nor jesting which are not convenient." (Gill and Dwi^ht 
say obscene jesting.)— "Let no man deceive you, with vain words'— 
w^alk as children of light. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works 
of darkness, but rather reprove them. See that ye walk circumspectly, 
not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil. 
Be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Be 
not drunk with wine, but be filled with the spirit— speaking to yourselves 
m psalms and hymns and spiritual songs— Submitting yourselves one to 
another m the fear of God. Wives submit yourselves to your own hus- 
bands, as unto the Lord. Husbands love your wives, as Christ loved 
the Church. Let every one in particular so love his wife even as him- 
self, and the wife see that she reverence her husband. Children obev 
your parents in the Lord, for this is right. And ye fathers provoke not 
your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition 
ot the Lord. Servants [douloi] be obedient to them that are your mas- 
ters accordmg to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your 
heart, as unto Christ, not with eye service as menpleasers, but as the ser- 
vants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart; ivilh ^ood xoill 
doing service, as to the Lord and not to men ; knowing that whatsoever 
good thing any man doeth,the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether 
he be [doulos] bond or Jree. And ye masters, do the same thinrrs unto 
them, forbearing threatening ; knowing that your master also is in heaven 
neither IS there respect of persons with him. Finally, brethren, be strong 
iii the Lord and m tlie power of his might. Put on the whole armor of 



(40) 

^rod, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Staud, 
therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breast 
plate of righteousnes, and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gos- 
pel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall 
be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked— and take the helnK;t 
©f salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the ivord of God. Pray- 
ing always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watch- 
ing thereunto with all perseverance, and supplication for all saints." 

The above is a synopsis of what Paul taught the Ephsian Church. — 
And where can we find a more particular account of the sins to be 
shunned—the duties to be performed, and the manner of performing 
them, than in that Epistle 1 Let Acts xx, 17—20, also 26, 27, be placed 
ifl juxta-position with the above— viz : "And from Miletus he [Paul] sent 
to Ephesus, and called the Elders of the Church, and when they were 
come to him, ho said unto them, ye know, from the first day that I came 
into Asia, after what manner 1 have been with ysu at all seasons ; and 
how / kepi back nothing that uas profitable wito you, but have shewed 
vou, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house." 26, 27— 
''Wherefore I take you to record this day, that J am pure from ij^^ oLoou 
of all men; for J have not shunned to declare unto you ^QLL I Hi. 
COUJVSEL OF GOD.'' — I say, place in your mind these last tacts 
recorded by Luke, (while you notice that the servants Paul addresses were 
slaves, for he says, "whether he be bond or free,'') recolieclmg that be 
rPaull was then at Rome, hi the reign of Nero, with the execution ot 
400 innocent slaves of the Roman Praetor, fresh in his memery— Iht^ 
slave market, where the slaves were sold naked, before his eyes— Lav- 
inff, also, a knowledge, that in all nations and countries, there prevails a 
disposition to imitate the great— and that Rome was then the residence ot 
the groat and renowned, and consequently the metropolis of lashion ;— 
Taking into con-sideration all these circumstances, in connection witn 
the Ion's catalogue o^ sins and duties, not even omitting jestvig, and find- 
ina it a fact, that ho DID shun to declare that slavery was a sni, how can 
vo'^j, what reason have you to conclude that it is asm? If, indeed, aa 
you say, it is a heinous sin, it is, to me, a most unaccountable and unjusti- 
fiable omission. , , ,••,.• j *• i 

That, while he taught the masters and slaves their relative duties, he 
should, to such intelligent men as the Elders, declare— »ie know how I 
kept ba-k nothing- that was profiitable i/n/o you, but have shewed you, ami 
iuu<rht you publicly, and from house to /lOiwe.'Vand yet,neglectto con- 
dQmn that which was so pernicious ; and speak of the duties of slavery 
in close connection with the duties of two honorable and approved rela- 
tions, without shewing or teaching that there was any dilTerence, and leav- 
mg them to conclude that it was nof yrofiiable unto them'Mo make a 
distinction betweeen that which is "a sin and scandal," and that wbic j 
•>i« honorabUin all," is a mystery too deep for me to fathom. 

Why does he not point out to the thief the duties of stealing ( h or, U 
we taks Adam Clarke, and many other eminent divmee, for our gmd»«< 



(41) 

hoidiog slaves ia a crime of much greater magnitude than sieaHng. I 
forget — Paul does give directions, he does inculcate a duty on the thief— 
"Lkt him that stole, steal NO MORE." Why not make as 
«hort work of slavery, if it is a heinous sin, and a deadly ecemy to the 
peaco and prosperity of Cfuisi's Church, to prune aed build up which it 
waa Paul's sole duty? 

\ cannot leave this subject without expressing ray utter astonishment, 
^hat, without once mentioning abolition or en)ancipation, as a remedy for 
she evils of slavery, the Apostle, with as much self complacency, as a 
rn.in conscious that he had "kept back nothing that was profitable,'" should 
appeal to the Elders of the Church as witnesses, that he was "pure from 
the blood of all men,'' for ho had "n©t shunned to declare unto them, 
all the counsel of God," if he knew slavery, which, as a relation, he rever,- 
in any manner whatever, condemned, to be a heinous sin and scandal. — 
It appears to me, that a man who can believe, that the Apo-stle viewed 
the relation of master and slave, as an "accursed thing'' — "an enormity 
and crime, /or u'/iic/i perdition has scarcehj an adequate state of punish- 
metW* — and that "aiming at the speedy and entire removal of this sin 
from the Church, was verily consist-^nt with the word of God" — And yet, 
**ith such views, maintain entire silence on the subject — I say, a man 

who can believe this, can believe more than is necessary to make him 

a christian. 

Can It be possible, that the silence of the .\postle, was owing to an 
npprehension, that if he then condemned slavery as it e.xisted among 
the Romans, who used the Greek word doulos to signify one of their 
slaves, it would, in some future day, produce confusion in Kentucky,* even 
to tho very Centre Coih'^e, and that contusion, perhaps, extend north 
of the Ohio? Did it occur to the Apostle, that because there was not 
an '■'■exact and precise'" similarity between slavery in his day and slavery 
in 1836 — therefore it was the "counsel of God," that he should be silent 
nn the subject, and that the Church at Ephcsus — while they saw douloi 
ef their own color "Thrown to Mullets and Carps" — while they saw that 
"•♦there was no species of misery which the system of Greek and Roman 
slavery did not inflict upon its unhappy victims"* — should content them- 
selves with no more effort for emancipation, than merely inculcating on 
tlouioi or alaves, to be obedient unto their own masters *Uts unio Christ,'^ 
lessor the want of ejraci preci.sjort in language, some might wickedly con- 
clude, in 1S36, when slavery would exist in a much milder ibrm, (and 
with a difference of ccm.plexion between the master and slave,) that it 
was notth« counsel of God, to Ihem, to become aboliuonists or eman- 
«ipators ? 



'■'t^ne. Appendix, Xott C. 



(42) 

Aocoraling to my apprehension of the subject, the Apostle knew that 
it was not tho counsel of God, that he, or any of the Apostles of tb« 
C hurch, in any age, should interfere with a civil relation, to regulate 
Vf iiicb, the Holy Spirit has laid down specific rules. 



SECTION VI. 



Yov will, perhaps, be led to the same opinion, which I expresyed in the 
last section, if you consult further, Paul's epistle to the Collossians, writ- 
um the year following, and sent from (he same place, and by the same 
persons who were the bearers of the epistle vve have been examining, 
assd one of them, Onesimus, whose master resided at Colosse, and to 
whom his slave, Onesimus, bore a private letter from Paul, and which I 
shall notice in contrast wilh your sixth and seventh resolutions. 

it is suaicient to mention, that in this epistle, Paul pursues the same 
c"'>urse, with the Collossians, that he did with the Ephesians. After spe- 
••ifyinfy virtues v.hich they should aim to obtain, and vices which they 
f-houid avoid, he pursues the same plan of coupling the relations of wives 
and husbands, children and parents, servants fdouloij'and masters, as in 
liis epistle to the Ephesians. 

Chapter iii, 11 — Whatever disparity there might be between them, as to 
th'ir civil circumstances, the Apostle shews one point in which they are 
placed on an equality, and that is, "where there is neither Greek nor Jew ; 
circumcision or uncircumcision. Barbarian, Sythian, lend [doulos] r;or 
free, hut Christ is all, and in all." Here we find bond is tho sense in 
which the Apostle uses the word doulos. It will lead to the understand- 
ing of the same word in the verses 1 am about to quote — viz: 17 — 25, 
and 1 of chap, iv — "Wives submit yourselves to your own husbands, as 
it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against 
them. Children, ouey your parents in all things, for this is well pleas- 
ing unto the Lot d. Fathers, prt)voke not your children to anger, lest 
ihey be discouraged. Servants, [douloi] obey in all things your masters 
according to the flesh, not with eye service, us men pleasers, but in sin- 
gleness of heart, tearing God. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, 
as to the Lord and not to men , knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive 
the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he 
that doeih wrong, shall receive for the v.rong which he hath done, and 
Uii-re is no respect of persons. Masters give unto your [douloi] ser- 
vants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also liave a master 
in heaven." 

Adam Clark, whose authority, on the subject of slaver)', cannot bs 
qviestioncd by an abolitionist, being hiuiself an emancipator, says, that 
"according to' the flesh'' means "your masters m secular things." Ilig 



( 43 ) 

paraphrase on "the reward of the inheritance," is--»*Here you have nei- 
ther lands nor properly ; ye are senania or slaves, be not discouraged. 
yo have an inheritance in store, be faithful unto God and your employers. 
and Christ will give you an heavenly inheritance." 

His paraphrase on the words '\just and equal,'^ is— "As it is bondmen 
or ilaves, of whom the Apostle speaks, we may at once see, with what 
propriety this exhortation is given. The condition of slaves among the- 
Greeks and Romans, was wretched in the extreme ; they could appeai 
to no law, and they could expect neither justice nor equity. The Apos- 
tle, therefore, informs these proprietors of these slaves, that they should 
act towards them, both according to justice and equity, &c. Justice and 
equity required that they should have proper food, proper raiment, du^ 
rest, and no more than, moderate work.'* 

In the above, we perceive Clarke's idea of what is just and cf/«a/.— 
And where there is a mind unwarped by prejudice towards the support ot 
Q favorite system, I have no doubt but that mind will perceive that he has 
given the mind of the spirit. 

If then the above be the mind of the spirit, of which I have little doubt, 
then» the fact, that the planters of Mississippi and Louisiana, even while 
they have to pay from 20 to 25 dollars per barrel tor pork, tho present 
sea^oH, afford to their slaves from three to four and a half pounds per 
week, dees not show that they are neglec^lil in rendering to their slaver 
that which \sjust and e^ua/— especially when it is a known fact, also, tha< 
less labor, by one third, is required of them, thin is required of their white 
3er\'ants by the benevolent inhabitants of Ohio. And as to raiment, du- 
ring their daily labor, they will vie with servants of any country, and on 
tho Sabbath, would put one fourth of the ladies in Ohio in the background. 
*'I speak what I know, and testify what 1 have seen." 

But, to return to my subject. What is there, in all that the Apostio 
has written, which goes to shew that it is a "heinous sin and scandal'- to 
kold slaves ? 

To get clear of the force of such testimony as arises trom the siienoc 
of the Apostles on the subject, some have resorted to the most pitiful 
subtertuges. Such is tho tbllowing— it is almost too ridiculous and too 
presumptuous to be noticed. But as a minister once made it to me, I 
will repeat it. It is as tollows : 

The reason why the Apostles gave no direct testimony acainst slavery, 
was, that a direct testimony against slavery, in the Roman^'GovernmcDt, 
in the Apostohc day, would be highly imprudent ; because, besides jeop- 
ardizmg their own lives, it would have no otht- r tendency than to thwart 
the purpose lor which they were sent; and hence it would have been bad 
policy ! ! ! 

Did the Apostles, indeed, receive their doctrine of men, or were thev 
taught it by men, and not "by the revelation of .Tesus Christ ?" Wh;it'' 
men who counted not their lives dear to them ! Men, who, in obedien.-.e 
to the command of Christ, would "GO," (instead of sending, like the 
apostles ot ebohtion.) "into all the world and preach" what they H>--r^ 



(44) 

tauffht "by the revelation of Jesua Christ," even where tortures, racfe^. 
a.nd death in the most horrific forms, awaited them! Such men afraid 
to preach the truth, lest they should jeopardize their lives ! Such men 
influenced by lew groveling policy ! Has it indeed come to this, that the 
<'loriou3 Gospel of truth, which is the power of God unto salval.on, .s 
nothing more than the mere spawn of earthly policy? Heaven arrest 
such blasphemy ! But I will be calm and answer the xceak. 

Suppose, for instance, Paul was under such unworthy motives, ^a sup- 
position which makes me shudder,) still, it is not supposable, that an hon- 
est teacher of didactic theology, would conceal from h>s students, what 
were his views, as to the best mode of amchoratmg the condition ol six- 
ty millions of his fellow creatures, who were daily sufFermg, and daily 
exposed to suffer, all the cruelties that a people,— who, according to th*.- 
\postlc's own shewing, were "fuU of envy, murder, debate, coceit.ma- 
l.cmitv, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, dispitetul, proud, boasters, 
inVentora of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, 
covenant breakers, withoui natural affection, implacable unmercilul,- — 
rbose to inflict on them. - 

ity millious uader the absolute, inesponstble, control of masters ci 
..uch characters ! Sixty millions of people, wretched people, m the hor- 
izon of whose prospects, there was not discoverable one cheering ray o^ 
hope. A people, over whose doom, neither themselves nor others, couM 
discover any thing less than one unbroken cloud of despair. Sixty mill- 
ions in whose bosoms had expired the hope, that they could ever ob am 
either a trial, appeal, or redress. Surely, their doleful condition would, 
and did, command the attention of the Apostle. 

And as surely as his heart was not callous to their condition, or indif- 
ferent as to the best mode of ameliorating that condition, equally as sure. 
it appears to me. that-if the dread of secular power prevented hun kom 
publishing to the Churches, that either rapid or ^''^;^; •^«^,^"^«"^«, r.^^^! 
emancipaUng those unhappy people, must and ^"g^^* J^ I' V. L fl ?o n 
aim of everv on<. naming the name ol Christ--he would be so tar ro^a 
concealing i-t from his students, that ho woulo remove ^^om their ud, 
all uncertainty on the subject. But, influenced by the cunning, ca lous, 
policy of his \vould be followers of our day, Paul would probabiy d - 
rect 'hi=J students. Timethy and Titus, to pursue a course hke the tol- 
lowing : 

Timothy, my son, take notice, that as you ar^ about to take charge of 
the Church at Ephesus, among a people, where, you know slavery exists 
under the sanction of the Government-and where, you also know, ,t is 
popular, and consequently an interference with it, at present, ^^ould wt^ak- 
en vour influence- where the least whisper of disapprobation, Horn you 
would break a hornet's nest upon you, therefore be ^^^^f '"'^'Z, ^^^^V'^^ 
about this matter. You know the people you have to deal ^vilh-yihe 
most of them are Greeks; but there are some Jews f'^^"^^'^^^^^^ 
you are happily qualified to go among such a people, being yourselt tQ« 



(<6) 

soH of a Jew<*8s and a Greek. — (Acts xvi, 1.) To the subject of alavfe- 
ry, will the attention of all serious persons, in a great degree, be directed: 
It cannot be otherwise. No christian that has a feeling heart, and that 
efery true christian has, can possibly witness, unmoved, what you have, 
and will witness in Ephesus and elsewhere. No one can, without a thriU 
of horror, see his fellow men, as you and I have seen them, and no doubt 
will again see them, with their hands nailed to a cross bar, fastened to th« 
top of an upright post, and thus left suapended, for daysr without even a 
drink of water ; and all this merely to gratify the caprice, of "malignant, 
proud, haters of God." We cannot, without the deepest pangs of sor- 
row, hear many of our neighbors, in a pompous proud manner, boast 
what fine large mullet and carp, they have in their fish ponds, and what 
delicious flavor they give them, by feeding them with human flesh — th« 
flesh of their slaves, who happened to displease them. With all tint 
yympathics with which the Gospel has inspired us, we cannot behold, 
from day to day, such sights, and innumerable others, equally, if not more 
appaling, without studying out some way, by which to ameliorate thesr 
condition. You are young, and your natural ardor, strongly 'prompted 
^y the uncommon portion of sympathy which you possess, will, doubi- 
}©sa, unless guarded by the utmost prudence, betray you into measures. 
which will, as I intimated before, involve you in difficultieg. You will 
have a greater need of caution, vs you will find men in Ephesus "with- 
out understanding" — men, notwithstanding they belong to the Church, 
and wear a good exterior, who have more sympathy than Christianity, 
more zeal than prudence, and more sail than ballast. Be cautious, there- 
fore, and do not let your youthful feelings lead you to make a public 
deejaration of your sentiments, however great your love for auoiition 
may be. 

The brethren of Lystra and Iconium have spoken well of you, and 1 
have on their recommendation, taken yon to instruct you, and I find I arii 
not disappointed in your character. I therefore put all confidence in you. 
1 will now tel! you, and you alone, ir.y private sentiments, on the subject 
o{ slavery ; but you must keep them a protbund secret ; for, if you do 
not, I shall be in a sad dilema. I am not ajfi^^d of any place but Ephe- 
sus. At Corinth, I treated the subject of sl,a\fc;ry, itself, as a matter about 
which they need not give themselves much concern. I set the minds ol 
masters at rest, by telling the slaves, in the letter I wrote to them all, "art 
thou called being a [doulos] servant, care not for it ; but if thou mayst 
be made free, use it rather." So that I have left the masters and slaves 
both under the impression, that they stand in a family relation towards 
each other ; and that the Gospel would direct Ihem how they ought mutu- 
ally to conduct. I intend, by coupling the relation of master and elave, 
with the k.ioA'n honorable relations of wife and husband, child and parcat, 
to leave the same impression wherever I go. And I intend, also, to con- 
vey the same idea, m all my public writings, and private communica- 
tions, except, v'here I have confidence in a roan, as I have in you, that 
he will not betray me. 



(46) 

I again enjoin on you, as you are about going to Ephesus, that you do 
not let my private sentiments be known, at that place particularly. It is 
a great place. Indeed you will find it the greatest place in Asia Minor. 
Many of the most respectable people there, are your own people, by your 
father's side, and some very respectable by your mother's side. You 
know they all despise pious frauds — and a man professing so much open- 
noss and candor as I have done, and really as 1 generally feel, to be de- 
tected in one, would ruin me forever. So you must be on your guard. — 
I intend that Titus, also, shall know my private sentiments : he is a trusty 
ieUow — I can put all confidence in him. As I am going to send him to 
Crete, where the people, as you know "are all liars, evil beasts, and stow 
belles." His long associations with the people, will affect his mind so 
as, perhaps, to blunt, in some degree, that nervous excitement which he 
now' feels, when a minister tells any thing that even looks like a fak*- 
kood. 

Now, my dear son Timothy, I will tell you — but first, I must again put 
you on your guard — You recollect the time we were at Miletus, on our 
way to Jerusalem, when I sent for the Elders of Ephesus — Dont you 
recollect what a feeling time we had in parting ? Dont you recollect how 
ihe dear old souls wept, when I told them they "would see my face no 
more ?" Dont you remember, with what sincerity I told them, that *'I 
have not shunned to declare unto you «.'/ the counsel of God ?" All thii», 
you no doubt recollect. But perhaps you have not noticed, that I, un- 
fortunately, made use of the word ALL, and the good old souls will re- 
member it, and if they do not, Luke will be sure to record it, f6r you 
know he is very particular. So now, my son, you perceive, that if it 
should be found out at Ephesus, that it was not simply the bad conduct 
of Masters I condemned, but something beyond that, my situation would 
be an exceedingly awkward one, especially if they got hold of my letter 
to the Church at Corinth. 

Now, Timothy, after having given you all necessary caution, and hopmg 
tliat you will not betray your old preceptor, I make to you this candid 
statement : 

vSLAVERY — I do not iiftean the cruelties that are exercised, nor the 
suflering endured ; theeo'^have openly condemned— and you need never 
keop your disapprobation of them a secret — nay, you are at liberty to 
proclaim such to be my views ; tot I have done nothing that is at variance 
with that sentiment' — Slavetij, as I was about to tell you, is the relation 
between the master and his servant, or slave — (there is no danger of my 
using the term slave ay synonymous with servant, both meaning the same 
thing, seeing our present conversation is to be inter 7iQs) — but lot me cau- 
tion you, my son, 1 foresee, that at some future day, a YOUNG man in 
Kentucky, will, by some legerdemain or other, find out some of these my 
private sentiments, and will publish them — Now I cau'.ion you to use the 
word sci-vanl instead of slave, so that that YOUNG man may not be hin- 
dered tVom gaining his point, for he is very precise and exact. Pardon 
thii digression, my son, for I wish to be very cautious ; my situation is u 



(47) 

dolicate one. Be it known Onto yoi., then, and to you only, that slavery 
w "a smm itself peculiarly heinous in the sight of God.'' ll is suck an 
'accursed thing that the Church cannot stand before her enemies, until 
they takeaway the accursed thing f^m among them,'' It is so accursed 
that tt will cause "a great decline of vital godliness.'' It tviU cause ^^di- 
"i'T',' nii """ ca«.e "//te means of grace to have but little success."— 
Jnd timh^cause the efforts of the Church for th, extension of the Re. 
(ieemers kingdom to prove abortive." 

Thus my dear Timothy, I have told you candidly, what my private 

^Trrl' 7a I """? ^""'l f'^ "°^" P"'"""'^^ ^" ^^^'•'^ «" awkward predica. 
ment I shou d be placed, before the Elders of Ephesus, good old soule, 
. they snouid, by any means, find out that these are my sentiments, and 
that I knew they were "the counsel of God," when, with a solemnity 
sumJar to an oath I protested to them, that "/ have not shunned to dl 
cUire unto you, ALL the counsel of God." 

,IlLT\^ vvillopen my mind to you stii! farther, but you must not 
fnM nf ;• m '' '^f" ' ^''^ '" '°'^" '-•ivstenous mrnner, they will oot 
.o.dof itui Ohio-that -ar.nXo. at the speedy and entire removal" of 

"S/S.- ' ' """^ '"' ''"'^^' '*^' ^"''^^ '''''''^'''^ ^'^'* ^^'« 

This sentiment will not be known in Kentuckv. They are YOUNG 
o|k. there, yet. As they are YOUNG, they wHl be sat.sLd with tel W 
then- folks, that m all cases they may go on sinning for six years, and"n 
aome cases twenty five. If, however, some of the.^ people U b S 
ina they may die themseh-es m their awful sins, before' the probation is 
ended, Jhe same mgenu.ty by which my private semiments w^re discov- 

dled ''-^VoTmr '"'"' ^^♦7'^-^»-' t« heal the wounded conscience. In- 
deed, .^JpUNG man will discover it, and apply it very adroitly, show. 
mg B.thal, that it ,s a safe balsam. He wil/ 'pive, that to l.Ve m tL 
tt or ^^ r,7 ^r^f " .';'^h\F«^;'d^d a record is made in court by the 
tv f I!' ^^^4"/*^"'^^ q'"»'ng his sins in a period between six and tvven- 
iZ''''7!; If ^^'^''^P^"^ '•^^'^ver, which he will use to drive the con- 
*jction, of he eihcacy o his balsam, home to the conscience, "will be 
m delicately pointed that you," Timothy, "could scarcely discern 
ki.i. point, or be absolutely certain whether they had any point at 

A Ji?r ^^'"'' "7 '''"'. '*^^'^/^ >'°'' ^y P"^^'*" ^''^^■^' 1 J^^ve been in- 
^^^^^ "''■ ^T *H' P'^.^'"' confidence I have in you, and because 
Mill out l,us private explanation, I know you would be in danger of be- 
mg led into the most egregious error, as to my views, on this subiect, 

P T ^"^ r T'^^^ '■'''■"''' '""'y ^'^^ ^^^^'^ to you, after you were settled as 
MAmoh ot Epheans. 

woHdlv nni-'"''"''!?^''^ -^H'^ '? ^^''^^'^' language, given a specimen of 
worldly pohcy I have, m this familiar manner, put the senUments, and, 



(48) 

aWost verbatim the language, of the Chillicothe Presbytery iato .ke 
mouth of Paul to Timothy, his student. 

T am now prepared to pursue with you, in the next s«ct.on, Paul » feat 
J^ttOT to tiio Youog Bishop of Ephesua. 



SSCTIOIC VIL 



It. this epistle, Paul commences by telling Timothy, to "charge some, 

«tau.^ht by his mother Eunice and h.s grand mother Lo«'»' J^^ .^^ "'^ 

J.lf his old preceptor, who was sent to teach him and others, by the 

Tomm ndment^of God Lnd the Lord Jesus Christ." (Lovusand Eumce 

had^riy the Old Testament, the New not having been wnt en at the 

time ) He tells him, that in Ephesus, "some having swerved ['om char^ 

"a^rood conscience, and faith unfeigned, have /-ned as.d to am 

jm^Ung, desiring to be teachers of the law, understana| ng not hat the> 

iav, nor whereof' they affirm," &c. He then <^'^^'^^'^^^T."^'^^^V;itL'^^ 

of all supplications, prayere, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be 

m^defo'allmen: fir kings, and tor cdl thai arc in <uUhorrii; (as j o« 

fave kindly d^ne for .^lave holders, in the latter part of your letter.) He 

rherthaVri, and not .0... ^^^-^^f '^ ^d ^slnt^'So" C^n' 

intercessions"-sach, for instance as n«r^h^7,J'^^'^, ^ fZ/Sm,^;! 

Paul, after stating to Tuiiothy thus, lim. n, I7- 1 3^"^:' q ^^c 
Christ, and lie not," makes the following regulation : verse 12-- 1 su 
fer nota u^oman to ^<^-c/t, nor usurp authority over men but^bem . 

/e„cc." From teaching how women ought .^. ^/^^l^'g f^ P'^^^Tten. 
give the following positive and negative qualities ol a f ^f^°P' 
S a1, "he must be blameless." He then proceeds to f rticular^^e , and 
^Sno-thaVpolvgamy wasa prevalent practice m Ephesus, he guard. 
agarn°t appointLl any man a Bishop, who lives in such a pt^ctice. (By 
tif. way, let us no"tice,'whether the Apostle was us g^^y^ed tha^ no lave 
holder should be appointed a Bishop, as that p^^ «"\f ^'J^;""^"; ^n 
Wesley was, in foiiJinig the Constitution "f^is Church. Let u t^e 
go on with his character of a B.shop-.n, 2-7-- A ^'fJ^J f ,';' ^;^;. 
r>e blameless, the husband of on. -aujc vigi ant, ^o^e , gnen i^^^^^' 
,7v, apt to teach ; not given to wine, no striker, not f'^^^ ^f > ^;i7;V",^ ,' 
hit patient; not a brawler, not covetous ; one that ^fj'^^^f /;' ^^'^ 
hovJ.; having his Children in subjection w:th -" g!!^^^ >', "^^^^f ,f/,fX 
know not how to rule well his o^on house, how «haU ^ej^ke care ol ;ti« 
Church of God?) not a novice; moreover, he "^l^f^^^.^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
*f them which are without." Such th«n, the Apostla save, u iJien»p 



( 49 ) 

should be, and should not be ; and the like character should a Deacon 
possess, ^et, m all this, there is no caution against either being a shive 
bolder. Indeed, it seems, when compared wrth the Old Testament, tha% 
besides children, the Apogtle anticipated that E'ishops would probably 
have sluves-because, besides governing h.s child.en, he mentions the 
government ot/ii. Aa«.e. A correspondent expression is made by the 
two Angels who appeared to Abraham. Gen. xviii, 19_"For I know 
bmi Abraham who had slaves as well as children,] that he will com- 
mand hs clnldren^A\lJlns household ajhr hhn- It was not his chil- 
dren or his household, but his children AND hi^ Iwusrlwld, clearly ^hew- 
d"rl-I "'''''' "'""^ •"'^"^^"'^ ^'y ^'"'^''^ or household, than mereij' iiis chil- 

e't'J'Tii- 7" T^^'' '^' ^1^ Testament, being the only scriptures 
e-.tant, a^ the time he was taught by his mother and grand inothe , it is 
probab.e, that the expression, k^s hou.c, would be understood by Timothy 
to mean ttie servants, and not tbe children the Bishop n;i-ht have" As 

?!^-'''!',''^''''" '"^ "^^"'* '^^^■^"'* ^" ^^e^^^. b,lt such as we have 
ticscvfoed Ji3 Koman servants to be, he would, ;.robabIy, imderrtaud Paul 
tomx.>n that a L.shopmu.t »;•../« his ...." ^la^es. B^bis as^ nay 
one thing ,5 certain, there is no caution left to guard the Bishon'c'oflice 
from J)eiPo exercised by a slave hoid^-. "^ 

.^^^:^'^'^''^^'^^f.^^^^^<'^^\A.o^ nnd Deacon, he then cau. 
Iious Timothy, a second Inne, against lalac teachers. 

t./S': ^'"tZ^? ^ philosophi.ing peopl.. uTho Greek, seek after 
w ao^.. i»-oi.. 22— -SU preach Chnst cruciHed— to ihf- Gre-ka 

^ai^ofouT^!,^ n-^'"'^"" the propensity of the Greeks, like, 
B)an^. ot our Aine. lean Div.wies, to receive noihmg as truti,, unless thev 

m.nd.ncrits of God, had not as mi;rh ibrcc to swav their nvlnds, in ce- 
cidmg what was right and wliat was wrong, as that which a^pea ed -^t 
^soph.caU-and r..at (hey would cnsiiy glide into error, e^ 0^ C^ 
^"hW^f l" ""^ "''^' t^^ .uade lawful, cautio^^ T.mo.ii^ , '^ 
nlo ; Pfl'losopn.cal i^iannot they would thus re-son : That 

«^ as much as any common observer, couid not f.il of seeing vh^t W 

K'r r ""fT"' T"' ''''' ^"^^^'^^ to, in conseouenee of man "3 
bemg thereby. iK^und to ob.y their husbands-seeiT^g, ;,iso. t^at ^h^i oS 
b.e cnme o ad iltery cou'.d not exist without on^e of ihe'p^r^ies v'ere 
niair.ed-th^refnre, the relation out of whicn ,00 many, and sucr ^re't 
evib grow, cannot but be sinful. Add to this, a relation wh ch1'l?es a 
man or a woman in that situation, that ho or she is thereby ndaiVXef 

dritSna'nf''^"^ excessive eating of seme kinds of mcatR, and excessive 
4"nk.«gof wme, were the cau«e, ua «mo.g the Conathic^as, ^'that many 



(60) 



iverr sick and weakly among them, and many slept," or died-- Hence. 
tV.at which causes so much sickness, weakness, sleep, or death, cannot 
be otherwise than sinful in the sight of God. 

In a word, any relation which may lead to great and sore evils, or tha 
hidul-ence of any appetite, which may lead to intemperance, cannot but 
be highly abhorrent in the sight of Heaven. This is phi osopny. And 
ihU, "says iho philosopher, is verily in accordance with the word ot 

'" Let U9 now pot it to the test, and see whether it is verily in accordance 
with the word of God, or whether it is only in accordance with the doc- 
uim-3 and commandments of men. , »t, . .„ ♦;,, 

Tako the iv, 1—6— "Now the spirit spoaketh expressly, that in tha 
latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing 
stmts and doctrines of devils : speaking lies in hypocrisy ; havmg^ the.r 
'.onsciences seared with a hot iron-forbidding to marry, and command- 
,n<r to abstain from meals, which God hath created lo he rccnved untlt 
]hanlc.^iving, of them which believe and know the ruth. lor every 
c'el me of tlod is good, and nothing to be refused it it be received with 

ia.u,k.-ivmg. For it i. sanctified by the word ot Gcd and prayei. ' 
To i^econcilo Paul's Christianity, above quoted, wUh the philosophy of 

nur div wuUkl require the same ingenuity as it would lo reconcile tnings 
Ueif/ine Iciieable. Every experiment which will bo made (o recoa- 

.•uotiiem; will prove as abortive, as those, heretofore made, to aiimlga- 

iTuto liineyar and oil. , 11 • rti„," 

Iho Apostle calls such philosophy, -profane fd old wives fables. 
,,d .n.ards Timot'iy against such maxims, and teds him in the Gth verse- 
:-ls liiou put the brethren m reniembvancc of these things, thou shalt be 
n rtncid inini-^'er of Christ.' . ,. . . 1 1 j 

'l V pass over the v chapter, which contains directions to .old and 
vj;nrr uidovvs and young womcn 5 to Elders, and to l.mothy h.msell, 
In eUi ion to his heaUh. Ho says to him, verse 23-'.Unnk no longer 
wa'i' r! but use a lifllc wine tor thy stomach's sake, and thme often inhrni- 

*^' R^ardless of the philosophy of those teachers, whose rnlnds would 
bcrnder the inilucnco of the seducing spiru., ot which he had spoken, 
iTid wt would interfere, no doubt, with masters and their -^mits an^ 
thereby instead of doing good, wuuld cause the name ot God and li.s 
d'ctrmc to bo blasphemed: he tells Timothy to 00 «W; and, us m 
Th vi chantor verse 1, say-'^Lct as many [douloi] servant.^ as arc 
tl.M^h v\S,cou.:t their'own masters worthy of all ^-or that the 
n u of God and his doctrine, bo not blasphemed." "And they that 
havob.licving masters, let them not despise ^Ik-, b-ausc t^y ^ 
brethren, but rather do them service ; because they are la.tht. I a..a L-c 
l.^c, partakers of the benefit. These thin,,s teach and «^:o>^. 

I need not heie repeat, what has already been proven, in a ^o^^^f^'^;^' 
tion- vi/ : that at Ephesus. as in all other ptirts ot the Koman Govom- 
neaU tho aorraut. I ore. (or iiiV, under the absolute control of t.o.. 



(61) 

masters ; and, in this reppect, were not precisehj, and excuily, like cm 
Mississippi slaves, for our laws limit the master's control, I do not suppose 
that the Ephesian servants, as to the color of their skin, the projection oi 
their nose, the size of their lips, and the texture of the hair, were pre- 
ciaehjand exactly like our slaves, nor were (hey treated half as well.— 
They were precisely and exactly like ours, under the control ol their mas- 
ters durinv life. . 

Paul directs Timothy to teach and exhort servants "to count their own 
masters worthy of all honor." How 1 Was Timothy, in order to enable 
servants to count their masters worthy of all honor, to take unusua. pains 
to expatiate on the characters of masters— calling them "henious and 
scandalou»3sinners"-robbers-tyrants--thieves-oppressovs-mon5ters- 

two letted wolves— atrabillious blasphemers 1 This conduct wou.d hn\^ 
been more in keeping with the conduct of those, whom "the spint says 
will, in the latter day, give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of de- 
vils— speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their consciences scared with h 

hot iron." '■ ■ , -j >- 

•'And they that have believing masters.''^ Who can unite the idea oi 
heinous, sinful, scandalous, to a believer ?— Atrabilious, blasphemous, 
believing masters ! An abolitionist who can incorporate these ideas, musi 
have his "conscience seared with a hot iron ;" and his abolition heat may, 
perchance, be so intense as to incorporate the iron and clay in Nebuchad- 
nezzar's image. ■ i ^ 

However confident any man, or body of men, may be, that cpithctf, irt 
their own nature calculated to alieiiute the aftcctions of servants from 
their masters, and to irritate the masters, are verily consistent with the 
word of God, they must have understood, in a way that is strange to me, 
the passage by which Paul explains to Timothy the nature of the doc- 
trines which he is to teach the Ei)hcsian servants— viz : "do them service 
because they ixre failliful, and LeJoved partal-evs of the benefit.'' 'I'o^ 
teach, that, in virtue of masters holding slaves, they are thereby guilly ot 
a heinous and scandalous sin, is but too plainly "teaching otherwise" then 
Paul taught Timothy to ''teach and exhort.'' 

There is no possible doubt, but that Timothy was to teach the Kphe- 
siaii slaves, to esteem their masters, and to serve them, not involuntarily, 
(as their services are universally represented to be, by all modern aboli- 
tionists,) "6u< nyith good ivill doin;^- service, as unto the Lord.'' Tiio hamc 
instruction that is given to children, "Honor your father and your moth- 
er" — "Children obey your parenis in the Lord." So servants, be obedi- 
ent unto your own naasters and please them well — count them worthy of 
all honor. Ministers who would he crusading against the exercise of pa- 
rental government — against holding children in subjection, as being ver- 
ily a .sin and scandal, would, certainly, be teaching otherwise than the 
Holy Spirit taught. So likewise of servants. 

That the above views are not a perversion, nor even a strained <'on- 
struction of God's word, any candid mind will readily perceive. 3^y cx- 
b.niining the 3d verso of the same chapter, you will find, that "countini^ 



(52) 

maaters toorthy of all honor,'' are called by the spirit, ''loholesome word«, 
evai the words of nur Lord Jesus Christ, and the doctrine that is accord^ 
ing to ^odlinoss.'* 

Pause now, my dear brother, and let your Presbytery consider well. 

The question 13 not. whether your action on the subject of slavery, wiB 
be in accordance with the philanthropy of the day ; but whether it will be 
m accord-.mce with "the words of our Lord Jesus Christ." Be not like 
Scrjbe& and Pharisees, who had, for a-^es, received and adopted "the tradi- 
tions of their fathers," until they became so enerafted in th<-ir very na- 
ture—until "growinij with their «;rowth, and stren^thening with their 
strength," that it aopeared little short of blasphemy to be told, "jn Tair. 
do ye teach for doctrines the commandments of men." Be not like th« 
honest, humble devotees of a certain Church, who have, time immemo- 
monal, thought it, and still think it, "verily consistent with the word o( 
God," to pray to, and bow down before the imacje of the Vire;in Mary, 
until thefollowins words, engraven by the finger of God himself, appears 
to them bordering on bksphemy, viz : "Thou shalt not make tmto thee 
zny p-aven imaf>-e, or any likeness of any thin»; that is in heaven above, 
or that is in the carlh beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.— 
Thou shall not bow down thyself to them nor serve tlum." — Ex. xx, 4, 6s 

Because that, for more than a century past, Bishops and teachers of 
didactic theology— politicians, legislators, and jurists of eminence and 
piety, with the whole fry of their yelping followers, have laid down the 
maxim, and harped upon it wi>h the fiery oloq\ience of the orator, and tho 
sonibre, !ond, lum!)ering st'ains of the p-jct, that "slavery is in itself sin- 
ful," until it looks almost Lko bhjsphemv, (br any one to have the temeri- 
ty to call i.i qiiesiion the truih u{ the tnaxim— the chartered privilege ia 
not yet taken a',v:iy Hon) the citizens of Zion, like the good old Bcreans, 
to "search the scripture-," and spe wiiether the maxim be, or be not 
in acr;ordp.rice v/ith the v.ords of PilM, "who spake as never man 
spoke," 

If men, uov^'evor great, high, eminent, numerous, a.id devotol they mnj 
be, speik not what the Aoostie calls the "words of our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Chrir.t, and the doctrine that Js according io godliness," it is becau3« 
"there is no tiulh in them." Their eminence and piety may shield them 
before men, while preachin;- docfrino?!, calculated in their o'.vn nature to 
produce, in lamih?-!, insj'oordinaticn— but nothing among Angels or men. 
will shiT'ld them t1om the following standing, which is imputed to them 
by the rioiy Spitit, in the seqijcl of the passage we have bsen consider- 
ing. Tim. h', 4, o— "//^ is proud, hwwinx n thing, but doating about 
questions end strifes of words, ivhrreof cc.ncth ettiy, strife, railing^ evtt 
surraisitigs; perverse disputiujs of msn of corrupt ■^ninds, and disliliite of 
the fnifh.sii.nposiu'r that gain is godliness^' — or, as Dr. Gill says, ^'gain- 
ing a point, is godliness.'' 

The inefruciions of^ Paul to Tirrothy, ir. the last clause of the 5tb 
verre, is, I confess, a painful iluty to be put in practice— viz : *^Frotn 
Slick iviihdraxo thyself." But however painful it may be, however it may 



(63) 

ElM^'"^^"''"^'"'^ '■"^'■^""^ of men. whose principles and co«^ 
duct, m other respects, we approve, yet, if these men will persevere T- 
endeavoring to occupy n ground, on which Angels dare not tread th'p^ 
.s no alternative left, but to gird on our knapsack, and havi I ov fe.l 
shod with the preparation of the Gospel of neare hnMin„ i ^ I / 
unsheathed, th'e f.^hished sword of thrlpir.t X'h' S ^T/oTStZ 

With all the hindrances and obstacles, which the anti-christian doctrine* 
of emancipators and aboIitionists_(there is no difference, exrepuha o^ 

CZ:!' Th JbrecT-'^.b""""''"^' ^"t^"' ""'>'' ^^ piece meal, .at 
away me. ihe object is the same ; an obect, predicated on the nnt. 
»cnpt«ral maxm,, that slavery is a sin)-have thrown ,n our way 13?"! 

just and equal. They are "our households." Let each master amiH^' 

^ ridTr'h^ f '"''"^' '' ^T*^"^^' ^^^^ •* ^^y^ indeed and 'n'ut 
b^ said of each of us, as was said of Abraham, by the Hieh and Ho . 

One. who appeared to him m the plains of Mamre.^4 know him th"t 

mewaij of the Lord to do justice and judgment ; that the I o-d maV 
bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him " ^ 

ie christen mxsters, who, in view of the ravaijos and ruin that ahnl^ 
Uon and emancipating doctrines have been producin", J Lm yo ,r bor 
oers. han^T down yo-.r heads lik. buIroshes-Uo. b.x^r.se vu7cee thTt 

uuiua 10 read, are lianjfinir vour barns xmnn «ho ,,mM ,.. , » i 
lift iin vn„^ u^ } ,^ ^ •' •'■'«'|J^ upon .ne wnlows, take courat^e — 
nu up yoi-r heads — atuine you,- haros. For rW, nV. oK^; r -.v. 
"accursed thin^" vhinh tul . • . aMi.uc.oh aboutiun is the 

latS^rdln- v>M^^ 'T'" ^^P"*^^^ expressly would come in th* 

nor fh . i: r CMsmayed— "say not that the work is too -neat 

Zi^l Ps7:^V^r^'rVl^ ^''^P^'^^y^ ♦- powcrfultbe 
resisted. Jt.s a sm that loves Ike darkness and cannot endure th- Urrht 



SECTION VIII, 



Uoa.. on the same subject to Titus, another of hia students, and Vbo^ 



(5i) 

he appointed Bishop of Crete. I will be brief; because the instruc^ 
tions to Titus do not vary, in substance, from those given to Tim^ 

"*' O'n examination, you will find, in stating the sine qua non to a Bishop', 
office, that, beinff a slaveholder, is not mentioned as one. You ^v U tind 
ii us paH^ularly cautioned, in the 1st chapter, agamst a ^-t untoward 
sett of people, which he would find in Crete The Apostle lis km 
'■there are many unruly and vain talkers, and deceivers, especially they ot 
the circumcision." Here note, that they of the circumcision ^vere reckoned, 
by themselves and others, the most re.hgious, and ^^f ^''^^^'^l^^J^^^.^f ' 
oloTv of any people in the world. This shews us, that, however prominent 
thefe'hgioulcharacter of anymen may be,holding, like those of the circum- 
cLion, in their hands the oracles of God, yet we are to turn o""^^^^^^^^^^ 
from them, after ^^rebuhing them sharply,' jheneyer they commence 
preaching doctrines calculated to "sutrerP ^'^,«^'^";"'*^ J^'^ji''"'' J, '^ 
Apostle %ontinues~''Whose mouths must ^«, f *°Pf ^-^^^h/j",t ■', 
^cLh houses, teaching things which they ought not, for «!% ''^fl^ / 
«ake. One if themselves, even a prophet o( their o^vn, md the Cre- 
tans are alway liars-evil beasts-slovv bellies. This witness s tru^ 
Wherefore, rehuhe them sharply, that they may be sound m the faith.-- 
Not eivin^ heed to Jewish fables, and comnmndmenjs of men, that turn 
frl fhl truth." Gaining the sanction of the mm .^^e ---- ^ 
r,w.nu nf mpn evcn Avhen those commandments turn liWii tne iruin, i» 

"'I^m the language of the Apostle, ^--^^^^yj^l^^f^^^^^:^ 
tions he save Titus, about servants, it would seem, tha he had .etercnce 
to tLsefoctrines which tended to disturb the domestic relations. He 
tells Titus t^^^^^ example, that it would make an mi- 

^e s7on whe'fv^ihe went, 'an doctrine ^^-^Y^;:^^:^^^ 
Sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he that is o tt,e 
contrary%art may be ashamed h..^^^^^^^^ 
.T fViprp was u "Teat number oi sia\ti!', xuu' n^»«-i 
he* -a::r.>:nc%, after diroc.ing TU,„ about .,i, <>" --£"0 t^r 
irinP he directs him to "exhort [douloi] servants to bo obedient to lacjr 
own mastesrandTo please them in all things, not answering again, not 
^urlomintbut shewmg oil good fidelity ; that they may adorn the do.- 
trine of God our saviour, in all things." 



(•56) 

Servants were to please their masters in uH things, ••not purloining, but 
shewing all good fidelity." Sent by their master to market, either to 
l)uy or sell, they were to use "good fidelity" — "not purloining" — not 
keeping back a part of the amount of sales, nor pretending that articles 
cost more than was actually paid for them. In all this, Titus is not in- 
structed to interfere with the relation of masters and their slaves. If hn 
had, with all his mfluence, he no doubt would have subverted, not only 
"ic'Ao/e houses" but the whole island of Crete. Just as Muratt, Rebes- 
peare, Godwin, and the whole tribe of French and English Abolitionists, 
subverted the Island ot^ St. Domingo — nay, subverted the whole Govern- 
ment of France — so might, in all probability, Titus have done, had he 
listened to "vain talkers," and "seducing spirits," instead of receiving 
the council of God, by the mouth of Paul. 

I have now but one more reference to make to the writings of Paul, 
before I close this exhibit of the diHerent portions of scripture, which 
bi-ought my mind to its present conviction, so radically diflerent from your 
views. 

How your Presbytery could pass its sixth and seventh resolutions, with 
the knowledge you had of Paul's epistle to Philemon, is to me inexpli- 
cable. Let us examine the resolutions and the epistle, and see whether 
the doctrines contained in the resolutions, are verily consistent with the 
word of God, as contained in the epistle. 

You rcriolvo, "6th. That wh:^a a master advertises a reward for a run- 
away slave, against whom no other crime is alleged than escaping froni 
his master, ha is guilty of a scandalous sin, and forleits his right to the 
sealing ordinances of God's house." 

"7th Kesolved, That to apprehend a slave who is endeavoring to es- 
cape from slavery, with a view to restore him to his master, is a dirtct 
violation of the Divine Law, and when committed by u member of the 
Charch, ought to aubject him to censure." 

'V\\Ki epi.ulc to Philemon was written by Paul, while a prisoner at 
Ronj;>. As Philemon was converted under the ministry of Paul, who had 
a church in his house, it is probable that Piiilemon's slaves were acquain- 
ted with Paul. This acquaintance might have been the reason why Oni.-^- 
inm.s, the slave of Philemon, after he run avray from his master at Co- 
losse, and now in Rome among strangers, called, a3 was natural, to sec 
an old acqtuuntancc. Be this as it may, one thing is certain, he was con- 
verted under the ministry of Paul — and, tor some time after his conver- 
sion, served Paul. The Apostle, however, sent him home, with this very 
'letter, which we are considering, to his master, with an urgent request, 
on the pait of Paul, to Philemon, that he would not treat his slave harsii- 
ly, but receive him in the two fold capacity of a slave and a brother — both 
in the fiesh and in the Lord. 

This is the substance of the whole letter. That Onesimus was a 
.«lave — that Paul recognized him as the lawful property of his muster, 
Philemon, I refer you to Scott, Clarke, and iVIcKnight — (he two tormcr 
tl.orough-going emancipatora. In the epistle, wo find Oneainiua adver- 



( 68 ) 

tised, as a runaway from his master's service. Paul advertises that bs 
will pay On^simtis' debld, whether they weie for ^oods stolen and wast- 
ed, before his conversion, or whether the debt accrued for the loss of tho 
time he was absent, f)r both. It is not stated how he became in debt, but 
Paul promises he will pay what Onesimus owed. 

It is not stited, whether Philemon ever advertised a reward for appre- 
hendins^ Onesinius, but it is evident, from the letter, that Paul expected 
to be rewarded with the fjratitude of Philemon, for sendin:^- back to him 
his slave ; especially as he had reason, from what he had learned from 
Paul's letter, to believe that his slave would now be more proiitable to 
him, than he was before his conversion. 

Here, then, we have an Apostle, "with a view of restoring him to hia 
iKPster," senciiniT back a runaway slave. Here we have, m Phiiemon, 
an eininent chri.sti:in, holdinj;; his ie'low beings in slavery. Here, also, 
we have Onesinius, veniy, now, bearinir the image of Jesus, sent home 
as a slave, by Paul, the a;^ed. Paid, then, on a trial before tlje Chillico- 
the Preshyteiv, on the cnaijre of advertising and restoring to his maiter, 
the shive Onchimu*, ajiainst uhom no ciivne was alleged would, under 
the Gth aiid 7ta resolutions, be found guiity of a scu'iJalcars siu, vxid a 
direct violation of the Divine Law — consequently, the penalty specified 
in the resohuions, would be executed on him, and he would, theieiore, be 
BubjGctcd to censure, and excluded from the sealing ordinances of God's 
bouse. 

The advertising and apprehending a runaway slave, against whom »J0 
criins is illegej, is not 'he full extent of Paul'-i iniquity. But Le, pro- 
fessing lO have the mind of the spirit, is guilty of the most impaidonable 
omission. He knew thet Philemcn lived at Colosse, and that he vvould^ 
of ceuise, see Ihe letter he wrote to the Coliossisn.^, at the same tiine 
ij'at he wrote to him a private letter. In (he letter to the Collossians, he 
directs masters to "o,ive unto your servants that which isjnsl iii:d equal,'* 
wiihout menticming whether it v.as intended i)y "just and er,ur.i," that their 
n;asters were bound to eaiancipaie iheni, Philemon would look, at the 
private let'er he sent to himself, to learn from it his duty, as now he had, 
in the person of One^i.nus, a slave, whom Paul owns as a '-biothcr be- 
loved." And there, instead of ernancipt.lion being required, he liuds 
Paul comforting him with the hope, that Oner-imus would quit his old 
tricks, and never run away yjiain, "for," &ays Paul, "perhaps he thoieforo 
departed for a season, that thou shuuldt^t receive hun /t»rerej-.'' If he 
had not run away, and, in the providenc?. of God been corvcrfed, he, 
perhaps, would have been of no service to you, but nov,-, being converted, 
ho will never run away from you again, but serve you '^/brcre?-," "not 
with eye servioe," as formerly, "but, in singleness of heart, fearing God." 
You will fi'-i.d now, that v.lvitever service yea require of him, he will "do 
it heartily, as to the Lor(1, and not unto men." So that now, "you re- 
ceive him" back, purj^ed by the Holy S{)irit, of the abolition principles 
he had adopted, ar.d which caused hien to run away, and which caused 
him, even when he staid at home, to do his work reluctaotly, and iaa 



(67) 

^l(msh manner, '«with eye service." But now, he is under the influence 
OJ holy principles, so that you rnay now receive him, "not as a slave but 
aa a brother beloved, specially to me," nho have for some time eni.ned 
his services. Although I have not the additional circumstance ofVi 
being my property, to increase my attachment to him, yet I do love him 
&s a brother. U then, his christian principles, and the short service ht 
^na rendered to me, makes him stand so high in my estimation, "in th« 
i.ord, how much more would I esteem him, if he was mine "in the fiesh.'' 
inat is. It he was my property, and constituted a part of my housholi 
%6 he does yours. r j ^ 

So then you can receive him above a servant, a brother beloved, "spe- 
Lord '° '"'' "^'"''' ^''''' ^"^ *^^^' *''*'' '"^ ^^'' J^''^' "«^ ''' ^^* 

>hJ;" ^f®.'''^"''^ Pa;>l conveys to Philemon the idea, that he calculates 
that Christianity will bind the slave and his master together "with a 
Jouble chord tnat is not easily broken,'' instead of senarafina thetn. as is 
Bot the mere tendency, but the avowed purpose of abolition and emancioa- 
ung doctrines. ^ 

la view of the whole subject, who c-^n avoid seeing, that the 6th and 
m resolutions of the Chill.cothc Presbytery, would pbce the vene abio 
.ipostle much m th. vocative. Perhaps, in View of his incessant labo s 
-j-his extensive irave!s-h,s superior iurormaiior— his high landing, and 
h.3 grey hairs, he m,ght, on his trinl before the Presbytery c.f Chillircth'^ 
produce a pause; and although his docrrines were palely opposed Vo 
die resolutions of the Presbytery, yet, as it was manifest that he ^^i.ided 
a great influence, upon the whole it was beUer to sacrif ce the nv^iyoi 
U.e coctrmes of the Presbytery, th.n the ,.™^ ...k..that hi' S LJ 
and character, wouk. lead away from the Church. Eut W, however th^re 
Should tuippen to belong to the Presbytery, such v^nverjhl hc:^h^S 
mcompromsm^ obs!tna(e Wilson, and Junkins, that they wouM not 
*acrincethe p,«.//i.of the Church, on any consideration, fhr'tny 
:o «hew hat his doctrines were not at variance, at all with the Chiihco: 
.1.- i-resbyteiy, ivou d require an adroitness at twisting and turning, sbii^. 
iDg and dodging and (explaining explanations, on the part of the Apos'ti- 

t^m 17 ? ~^^'"^''''' ^"'^ ^^ escape f.o^n "censure and exclusion 
from the scaling ordinances of God's house !" 

..Ln'?'^ """'''' ^'^''^'■^'"g ^^ proraise, presented to your view and consid- 
.mtion, some portions of the Old and Nev.- Tesfument., accompanied 

ZlfL '^Tu' f '^'' ^''''''y ^^ ^^^^'^■'•'' ^^'••^""? '!■■« i'^^-. Greeks 
s.dKonian3,whi.h influenced my mind to call in question the truth of 
ine maxim, that s avery ts m itself sinful ; which you, and nmny othe^ 
t.«ve ^.dopted, and on which is erected a fabric of such awful and mal 

ot man^ of tnc .wise and Rged, throughout Europe and America It iij 
a faonc of such awful dome, that few of the IntclloctuaTo spirit -d 
Sampsons of the age, have had the temerity to seize hold of it/Juia ai^ 



( 58 ) 

only pillar. It is, indeed, a Goliath, whoae brawny muscles, gigantic 
Mtature, and terriHc mien, has hitherto, so far as I know, "set at defiance 
the armies of the living God." You perceive, however, that one in ob 
scarify, and, as it were, "from the sheep folds," clad not with a quiver full 
of keen, shrewd, metaphysical weapons, but "with the sword of the 
spirit, which is the word of God," has attacked the giant in his front, and 
has .struck ths main pillar of his temple. 



SECTION IX. 



la the whole, of-tlic preceding remarks, you will perceive that I have not interfercrl 
M-ith the subject of slavery, as it has a bearing on our political relations. I hav(. 
never made politics scarcely any part of my study, farther than to endeavor to dis- 
criminate between what was strictly political, and .vhat religious. Nevertheless, 
as vou have, in your 8th resolution, and in the remarks subsequent to vour resolu- 
•Jons, united the Church and State, (a union I never approved,) you will bear with 
inc, if, after noticing, in the present section, the resolutions which I have not al- 
ready disposed of, I take up your 8th resolution and examine its mcnts-lt shall be 

'\lnc 1st, 2d, fith, and 7th resolutions, have been shewn to be defective in thu 
bodv of the remarks, which I have already made; I will therefore pass them a 1 
,S. except the 2d-and as you request the Mississippi Presbytery to pass ha , 
witU the others, 1 will just mention an objection, which, in Mississippi and Lou.si- 
Tnt would be considered serious, unless we could lay aside our present prejudices 
•ii-i'' notions Yotir 2d resolution is as follows, viz : 

''Ilc^oU'ed, That giving or bequeathing slaves to children or otliers, as properly, 
,s a gr^at sin, and when committed by a member ./the Church, ought to subject hun 

to church censure." , ■, ■ f .i • r.^t. ir. TVlic- 

i will now proceed to state a difficulty that would arise from this fact m JN .s- 

sisti^ >i and L^ouisiana, we all are under the impression, that "where^a tcsUm^^^^^^^^^^ 

u,a.le llicre must, also, of necessity, be the death of he tci^tator to a ostamcm. 

i- of brro after men arc dead ; otherwise it is of no strength at all v ile the ttsta- 
orich" Hence a bequest made, is not of any strength, until the testator is 
load Generally speaking the testator seals his will, and how he has bequeathed 
I propcx' V S ot known%nt,l after his death. Besides, you know, that accordirxg 
: tl fcon UU ion of our Church, the accused must have ten days' previous notice ; 
md besidi lein" served with a citation to answer to the charge tab ed against hm., 

irmSrhe furniriied with a copy of the" charge, and the names ol the witnesses, 

'^N^w ^^ir^;;itv^;^ntrol over any but their own body, they ought to 
.no that tlK r vn Sutions could be carried out. Our Presbyteries anUcpate a 
Sicult; that would anse, from a want of sumcient "-ve among a.yo. oik mm.s- 
tcrs or elders, to go and serve the citation in he above ^=^f,''-^^^,;"f!;^,,^^^^^ 
census averno, sed revocar gradum hoc opus, hic labor est."- rro^ idcd that duhcui 

^■ThefoUowln'r Iranslatim is given for the benefit of those who rfo notvnderstan^J 
/..;f; "It i^ easy to go to the D~l, but the D— 1 to get back again. 



( 59 ) 

>y Vv'as gotten over, others would nrisc on the day of tiial. The idea of f--itting m 
judgment on a ghost, might render the members of the Presbytery fo skittish, na to 
"make it difficult, at times, to form a quorum. Here again are the witnesses, with the 
pupils of their eyes enlarged, and crying "wo worth the day" that wc ever wit- 
nessed the will and pioved it in court. Waiving all these difficulties, a quorum h 
formed ; the moderator and clerk are chosen, and now the body is prepared lor bu- 
siness, ' While the witnesses and some of the members are looking hither and 
thither, ready to start at the shaking of a leaf, the accused appears, clothed— not in 
robes of white, for according to the Presbytery, "he is guillij of a great sin"— but m 
blue black, livid, wan flames, giving the witnesses a torvous glance, which will prr- 
chance scatter them like mice. He approaches the moderator, who bids him, wUli 
a polite, trembling, wave of the hand, to keep a respectful distance, and fixes on 
him a glaring look. By this time all the members begin to smell the brimstone, aifd 
what now? I guess the clerk, if he has not already made tracks, would record, 
without motion or second, a noli prosequi, and the court would adjourn without 
wailing for ceremonies — nemine contra dicentc. I shall oppose the passage of your 
2d resolution. 

To he serious, I do not wonder, that a Presbytery which would pass your 2d res- 
olution, would attach a saving clause to your 3d, through which Dr. Ely could creep 
out. I rejoice that you have put in that clause; for, with all his excentiicities, I 
love, him; and there is no doubt with me, that, if it be a true characteristic of a 
Bishop, to be "given to hospitality," he has it. And it is much to be regretted, that 

his departure to Missouri, has left and so exceedingly denuded of 

that article among the Bishops. 

To the spirit of your 5th resolution, I have no objection. Its great defect 
would be, the almost utter impossibility, of bringing it to bear upon the delin- 
quent. 

I have stili loss objection to the spirit of your 0th resolution, provided the doe- 
trine of amalgamation is not intended by it. 

If by the pride and wickedness mentioned in the resolution, you mean that piti- 
ful and contemptible disposition, which would scowl at the idea of sitting in tin' 
same church, at the same table, or in the same stage coach, wi'th a member of tli'j 
body of Christ, merely because the person belonged to the colored race — then, there 
is no doubt with me, but that our Presbyteries would go heart in hand with yuu iji 
estimating such an one "a keathm man and a publican." 

It is, however, doubtful Vv-ith me, whether any of our Presbyteries would ])«?» 
your 9th resolution. Besides deeming it superfluous, I should be afraid to pass it, 
as it would be be an indirect slander on our communit}'. I can speak for inyscll, 
and can with truth say, that during 31 years' residence, I have never known in 
Mississippi or Louisiana, a professor of religion, of any denomination, cither so 
wicked or so proud, as to refuse a seat in the house of God, or at the Lord's table, 
to any person on account of his color wiicn there was room. Nay, I can say nioic— 
I have never known a southern man whether pious or not, that was recognizxd as 
a gentleman, or any part of a gentleman, refuse to take his seat in the same stag'" 
coach with a man of color, on account of his color. Your 9th resolution has al- 
ways been, and I hope will ever continue to be adopted by common ccnseut, not by 
religious societies alone, but by the great mass of the community. Arid licn< o, a 
formal adoption, as it would imply the existence of a contrary si>irit, would be 
viewed as slanderous, and an insult to the good sense of the community. 

Your 4th resolution requires a comment; I have therefore reserved it, uut'il t 
could have briefly disposed of the 3d, 5th, and tith. Having done so, I will now ap- 
proach your 4th, viz:. 

"Resolved, That to ofler a slave his freedom, only on condition that he will 
leave his country, and go into a foreign land, is unjust ajxd cruel, and yuglU to sub- 
ject a church niembcr to censure." 



(60) 

To t'liis resolution I have a most serious ohjection. Besides, I am utterly aston- 
j.shed, that such a resolution, on the score of tonsistency, ohouiJ, at this late period, 
originate, and be recommended to be adopted by the benevolent and sapient peopl« 
of Ohio. 

I object to the resolution toto ccelo. It is evidently a thrust aimed at tho Aracri~ 
rian Colonization Society. 

I admire the constitution of that Society, although I cannot approve of theconducJ 
and sentiments of some of its oPacers. I love it, because I find it so perfectly in 
accordance with the precepts and example of Jesus Christ, and his Apostles. It 
loo'is at inon, and acts towards them, just as it finds them. It does not stop action, 
Tintil it finds them actually, what, theoretically, they ought to be. Itfindaa number 
of men and women, in the United States, nominally and theoretically free ; but it 
E jes, that in reality, they are not free. It finds the fuict, that a flat nose, a curled 
head, and a black skin, has heretofore, and is likely ever hereafter, to keep them 
in bondage. It is fully aware, that tiiey can never, or, at least, for several generfr- 
tions, hope to obtain that standing in society, that could encourage them to offer &* 
candidates for a seat in the Legislature, for the Bench, or foi the Executive Depart/^ 
inent — however towering their genius — however solid their understanding — iiowev* 
••■■r moral tiicir deportment — however prudent, amiable, and humble their conduct- 
however extensive their fortune — however accomplished their manners — however 
polished their education -or, liowever kind their dispositions — yet, the very circuaw 
ptance, that the African blood flows througl) tlieir veins, rests lilie an incubus upcsi 
them — pressing them down to the dust — forbidding !hcm to lift tlie r.yo of hope, 
higher than the mere footstool of honor, and imperatively saying unto them, "hitho,r- 
to f^hal! ye go, and no farther." 

The Colonization Pcciety observing vhe fact, does not foolishly, and stupid!)-, and 
iiellicentty, npnid its onargiis, in tiieorizing on the subject ; vainly hopii',^ by ir«- 
/renious and unwarrantable arguments, ro control the Isois'eroiis winds \n'\ proud 
^aves of prt'juJicG. NO — But like a kind deliverer, it reaches a helpin;: hand, U. 
transport all fhat are willing, and al! to whom is ofTcrcd the alternative cf freedom 
ar slavery, to a land wlior;: tlie African can lift up iris brad, and raise np \>.\b eye, 
and shako himself of the dust — To a land where no insuperable obstacle prevents 
him from climbing up the steeps of honor, and taking his seat cahnly in the mos*. 
honorable and responsible chair in his rountry. 

Your resolution ohj< cts to liis leaving his couhtry, and going into a fore'gn land. 
Do you mean, by his countnj, tha place AV;iere he was born and raiceu ? C'r do you 
mean the whole of the United States to lie compris>'d in the term, his cu.mtiy 7 and 
Africa the foreign land ? If yon mean, by ii'.s country, tiie place where he was of- 
fered his freedom, it is my iivpression, tiwt our Prrsbvtcnes will decline adopting 
thcTCSoiution, on the ground, thut we would be unwilling to throw any i bstacle in 
the way of any of our members, emancipating their slaves, if tiny vvre so dis- 
po:-cd, and were satislled tb.it they would am< liorate their condition, by so doing ; 
and as personal security is required of th'^ emancipat':d for tin ir ";ood b havior, and 
as masters who know slaves, p.re generally too cautious to risk brconnng security 
for their good behnvior, the adoption of your resolution, by us, would, indeed, be u. 
very serious impediment, to slaves obtaining thcr freedom at all. Tliis backward- 
noss to become security, although it may appear, to the ignorant and inexperienced, 
fo result from a want of tender f'cling; we know, and are confident, by obscrvatJon 
and espcrinnco, that it is the result of genuine prudence. 

I expressed my astonishment, that you, ii. Ohio, should originate rujcli a rcscin- 
tion. Cliaiity, however, which "believeth al! things," ouscht, perhart'. to dp away 
my astonishment, at your manufactuting the resolution. The same chanty, which 
"Kcpoth all things," would incline me to l.cpe, that a very — very gvcot change had 
taken place in public feeling, in favor of the people of color, in Ohio. I for one re» 
joico in tlic hope. But still, I must confess, that I, and many of our people here, 
have not obtained tliat perfection of charity, which "tnriwrelA'all things.'* Heace, 



( 6i ) 

wecoald not endure to emancipate any of our slaves, with a view to send them tb 
Ohaa, unless we desired to punish them, as malefactors. For, with all the hop* 
that your resolution may be calculated to inspire, and all the deep interest indies- 
led by your whole letter, in behalf of colored people, we would not endure to «maD- 
CJpate our slaves, for whose happiness we ferl a deep interest, with a vi, w to er 
amon^ your philanthropic people, until the fact was blotted from our memory and 
burief] to us, in the tomb of forgetfulness, ot your State's forcing and drivin"! into 
the cold, bleak, inhospitable climate of Canada, so many poor, defenceless house, 
less, homeless, people of color, to endure the merciless blasts of the winter'stormB 
We would prefer the heiiwus, sii\ful, and scandalous situation, of keepino- them plen- 
tifully fed, warmly clad, and comfortably housed, even if they were oblic^cd to puS 
"P/'f'^^^'i° ho'""ble thought, of being, for life, under the control of SINGERS 
and MONSTERS, who, notwithstanding, would never fail to provide for them euch 
<K>mfort8. 

Or, we would prefer to send them, as a condition of emancipation, to a genial 
dimate, where winter storms, drifting snows, and pelting hail, would not compel 
them to give up the ghost— to the land of their ancestors, where they could live toa 
good old age, and at last descend in peace info the tombs of their fathers 

I stated that I admire the Colonization Society, but do not approve of the senti- 
ments and conduct, of some of its officers. 1 love consistency, however scarce 
that article may be with myself. If a man professes to be a Presbyterian, an Enb^ 
copalian.a :\I.thod.st, &c., I dislike to hoar from him sentiments, and to see in him 
actions vv|ii,;h are at variance: with the constitution of the society to which he be- 
longs, or m whose service he h.-^.s voluntarily eno-aoed, 

^ The 11 itticle of the constitution of the Amorican'Colonization Society, save-. 
Iha or,j„ct to which U5 altenHon is to hf^ exclusiveh, directed, is to promr^te "'and 
ciiecu.c a p.ir., (o- colomsi.ig. (w.lii their co.isont.) the free people cf coi.ir," &c„ 

tloio wehnd the object is, "to promote and execute a plan"— for what? ■''\o coo 
tmuesl.vcTV? No-To abolish it -adually or i,r-:ncc!iatelv? No~To infiuence 
the mi...,, o masters, neve.- to emancipate ? No-To peisundethem to do it ? N^- 
I- or wl..it. (hen? Simply, for "co!on;zing ibe free people of color"--Witho,.t their 
conser.t ? i\o--but, "with tneir cn^.sent." May .,ot the society have ofV • , Lir-cts 
c?'7r^T'^;\° ^^''.o"'Z'"g^ ^^o-bocause we see that colonizinois to be "EXCLTJ- 
SI v'ELY' the ohjoct. 1 ho constitution rxdud.s all other objects. 1' -to.' s not 
say, a s..:.d b..^ (indefinitely,)" an object, biit, (definitely,) the ohiocf. H< nre the 
constitution confines the n.Rinbers mid officers of the 'socictv, (inasmuch as t^e 
memoers and olticers are the society,) to the simple plain cljrjt of colonizino-. A» 
men, ano as members of other Bociclirs, they are free to act. and to have cinu'rcipa 
tion, or abolition, or the reverse of both, as their objects; but, as memb-s of th» 
Colonization Society, they arc limited to one object, to the exclusion of alL ether 
tbjects. - 7 J 

Men n-ver engage in an enterprise, without motives, A number of men may en, 
gage, iuMU'djy,m the same ent(;rprizc, with very different motives. I an not, like 
J no -c.a^s tor discouraging people from doing good, for fear they may net have the 
same niotives, fi>r doing good, th.-it 1 have. One may be a men^>er of the Colon, 
zation Soc:ety, because he thinks it, will abolish .slavery, and cut the t.'iro.-ts of th*- 
southern txco legged wo/m-Anothcr, because he thinks it will gradnnllv abo'ish 
elayerj, a.ul save the throats of slaveholders, but reduce them to poverty- Another 
will be a me.nber, because bethinks it will help him to tyranize over his .laves by 
removmg the example of the free people of co!or-And another, (and I hope thaV 
his company will be the largest,) will be a member, simply, because it enables the 
nominally, but, not really, freeman of color, "with his own consent," to become .r 
reality free. 

My objection to some of the members and oiUcors of the society, is, that thfv 
nSSbc"^ '"''^""'' ''''''"° ^^ ''^''^''' ^^""^ '^ ^'^^'^ ^''^'^ offensive to some of iti 



(62) 

The Abolition Society, whose object is to abolish slavery, charges on the Coloni- 
aation Society, that Us object is to continue slavery. To this charge, an ofHoer of 
the latter society, to purge it of the charge, says, speaking to aboIitioni8t8~"Our 
object is the same"— that is, to abolish slavery ; but, differing, sniiply, as to the 
mode. Thus, I have observed, that the burden of many of the publications, in the 
African Repository, is, how much the society has done, and is doing, towards the 
grand object of emancipation. It is so much filled with such stuff, that a etraiiger 
would be persuaded, in the absence of the constitution, that the society waa an 
emancipating society, rather than a colonizing one. 

If this be the society, let the constitution avow it; but, if it be, as the constitution 
says it is, exclusively colonizing, as to its object, let not the Repository slander it, 
by inadvertently, oi designedly, giving it the aspect, of having the joint object of 
emancipation and colonization. 

The object of Christ and his Apostles is one— viz: amelioratmg the condition ot 
the whole human family. They keep this one object in view, without turning aside 
to enslave or emancipate, except from the bondage of Satan, who, Christ knew, 
would never make a good master. But as man was capable of being wrought up- 
on for good, man might be made good as a master— consequently, where man was 
the master, instead of an effort to rescue from him his slaves, the effort was, to 
make the master good, and then slavery was of too little consequence to be no- 
ticed ; because, generally, instead of being a curse, it would prove to be a 

blessing. ,.,.., , , 

The object of colonization is one. It is an effort, by which, it is hoped, the con- 
dition of the free colored people of the United States, will be ameliorated. Let the 
society, P.fter the example of Christ and his Apostles, not turn aside from the one 
object, and then we will hope, that "Prayer and consistent effort, will>ringto its aid 
the resources of Omnipotence." 

t\om what I have remarked on your 4th resolution, you, no doubt, will readily 
perceive, that I shall be very far from voting for its passage, in the Amite Pr«s- 
bytery. 



SECTION X. 



I will now, according to promise, take up your 8th resolution, which reads as 

follows: ,,,,■, . 1 ■ r 

"Resolved, That any member of our Church, who shall advocate or speak in fa- 
vor of such laws as have been, or may yet be enacted, for the purpose ot keeping 
the slaves in ignorance, and preventing them from learning to read the word ot 
God, is guilty of a great sin, and ought to be dealt with as for other scandalous 
crimes." , , 

Your object for passing the above resolution, on your part, 1 cannot comprclieno. 
1 see no necessity for it, as I presume you have, in Ohio, neither slaves nor laws, 
such as are referred to in the resolution, unless you have, among you, 'busy bodies 
in other men's matters." I take it, therefore, to be intended for persons and laws 
in filaveholding States, and proposed for our approbation. 

If the object of the resolution is, to disapprove of laws passed, with the avowed, 
er the intended purpose, of fostering ignorance of the word of God, among any part 
of the community, I might remark about this resolution, as about your 9th, that it 
would imply a slander, as it respects the mass of community. 'I will not vouch for 
such a law, as preventing to read the word of God, by the Catholic laity, not being 



(6S) 

passe<l by the Pope, and adminiatered by the Priesta, But I can Touch for the 
Legislatures of Mississippi and Louisiana, so far as 1 have ever learned, that such 
a scandalous law was never passed, nor proposed to be passed. 

There are, however, laws existing in both States, accompanied with heavy penal 
sanctions, prohibiting the teaching of slaves to read, and meeting the approbation 
of the religious part of the reflecting community; but, passed, as I presume, from 
motives very different from those implied in the resolution— passed to meet the ex- 
igency of the case, and which, no doubt, would be unanimously repealed, to the 
great joy of all, as it would render the religious instructions of slaves, lees labori- 
ous — provided the causes of their passage were removed. 

The passage of those laws, however hard their bearing on slaves, arc a necessary 
effect, produced, as might have been foreseen, from an adequate cause. Causes 
you know, will produce their efTects, and these effects produce other efiocts, so that 
the first effect, becomes the immediate cause of the second, while the first cause 
becomes a step remote from the second effect. "The cause of the cause is the 
cause of the thing caused." ' 

The laws preventing slaves from learning to read, are a fruitful source of much 
Ignorance and immorality among slaves. The printing, publishing, and circulating 
abolition and emancipating principles in those States, were the cause of the pas- 
sage of the laws. The ignorance and immorality, occasioned by the laws, must 
legitimately, be saddled on the laws, as the effect must be saddled on the cause -- 
But tlie laws tJiemselves are an effect! Where, then, must they be saddled, with 
all the accumulated weight of guilt, but upon the cause?— even upon the back «f 
abohtionists and emancipators. Upon whom, now, will they saddle them, legitim- 
ately? If you will allow me to answer this question, 1 will answer by saying upon 
such great and good men as John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, Bishop Porteus 
Pailey Horsley, Scott, Clarke, Wilberforce, Sharp, Clarkson, Fo.x, Johnson, Burke' 
and, (I wil not, like Judge Jay, disgrace the list, by adding Daniel O'Connel a 
pensioned slanderer,) a host of as good, if not equally great men of later date— s'av 
some of the aged in the Chiliicothe Presbytery— who, without carefully examining 
the word of God, have concluded, that it is a true maxim, that "slavery is in itseff 
sinful:' Others, without observing or remembering, that "great men aru not always 
wise," never examined the scriptures for themselves, but followed in the wake be- 
ing the smoothest sailing— until, at last, men in our day, have become, what the 
Apostle cautions them not to be, "the servants of men," and ready, and willino- to 
receive and teach "the commandments of men," their masters. Men, then, wh'j 
will thus act, must not complain, when they are obhged, legitimately, to place the 
saddle on their own folly, in being the slaves of men. Pardon me, for shewing 
this to be the disposiUon of an abolitionist. In the meantime, let the primary can4 
be removed, and the repeal of the oflensivc laws will follow, and then will arise a 
cheering prospect, when the effects of the laws will cease. 

So astonishingly hard are men, fettered down, without their own consciousness; 
witli the cfiains of mental slavery, that it often requires years to file them off and 
3f>raetimes they are never broken. I ought to say, hammer them— for it is the word 
ot (jod alone, that can break their chains in pieces. 

You would condemn a christian, according to the spirit of your resolution who 
would approve of the laws of, the slaveholding States, in relation to teacliin<^ slaves 
to read. You would, nevertheless, approve of laws, which would foster io^iorance 
ot transactions in brothel houses— ignorance of Panics Age of Reason— "^of God- 
wins i.ights of Women, and ignorance of all books and tracts, that turned the 
word of God and his ordinances into ridicule. This kind cff ignorance, you would 
encourage among the charge committed to your trust. 

Suppose I possessed a goodly portion of talents and influence, and a hio-h share 
by nature, of the tender sympathies, and these heightened by grace • and^ny resi- 
dence should, perchance, happen to be, where I frequently saw parents, so devoid 
ct natural affection, that they exercised on their children, the most horrid ciucitie^ 



(64) 

laming them with a blreding heart, to other familiea ; and should witness a repe- 
lion of similar cruelties, until I found, that with scarcely an exception, "destruction 
was in all their border ;" suppose then I should conclude, and very properly too, that 
ihe God of heaven could never sanction such cruelties, and that there ought to be a 
change. This is all very correct. But a suggestion would be made to my mind, 
addressed to my sympathetitic feelings, that the condition of children would b« 
greatly ameliorated, by being separated from their parents; and this suggestion, 
I would be very far from supposing to be made by a seducing spirit. 

I would be naturally disposed to act on the suggestion ; but, bcmg alone, I would 
inverse with a few choice spirits. They would become enlisted, and, in their turn, 
would enlist others; and these, enlisting a third, until I was able to form a respect- 
ftble society. Before this soci 'ty each member would produce a statistical account 
-)( th^ cruellies of parents, that would, ia reality shock the whole meeting, until ev« 
«ry feeling was excited to the highest pilch. 

In this situation, it would be sugi;c8t<!d, to one of the old and inflential men, thiit 
the lav/s, by which the parents were vested with absolute control over their children, 
were exceedingly oppressive, and a heinous sin and scandal ; and, in rontirma- 
fton of this suggestion, the statistical accounts of the cruelties, already read, wcul4 
be presented. 

I can concMveofthe father rising from his seat, with the briny water running dowa 
h'9 furroM'fd cheeks, ard, in consec^U' nee of the r;jsh through his whole system, 
whivh his blood made, in obedience to his feelings, he felt and assumed the erect- 
ness and vigor of youth, and said : 

"My friends, I verily perceive, that abolishing the control of parents over their 
children, would bedoiuj God service; for, besides what you have hoard, you know, 
that according to the existin-T; state of things, if the p;irent3 choose, they can pre- 
vent them from being taught to read liic word of God — f.oin^attendi.ig the sanctu- 
ary — f.-om respecting the Lvabhatii — and from hearing the wurd preached. In a 
word, they are subject to their arbitrary will, and despotic sway — And, besides, 
they have no chance for trial, appeal, or redress, for 21 years; and that, the most 
precious, sweet, and interesting tmu; of life — the very time, %vhca the whole charaO' 
ter of the man is mainly formed— This lime, when the balance of their days, is to 
be joyful or sorrowlul, according to the foundation laid, during this interesting pe- 
riod. And shall we, unfeelingly, and without action, look on, and not come to the 
rescue? — Forbid it, heaven! Put forth your enerf,ies; write, speak, preach, pub- 
lish, and proclaim your testimony against it. What docs the Loid say, by his 
Prophet? "Is not this the feast that I have chosen? to loose the bonds of wicked- 
ae83, to undoe th.-; heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and lo break 
every yoke?" Of what avail is it, that the oppressed go free, the balance of their 
lives, when they are mined by the aihitrary control of their parents, i,i the preyiouB 
period of life ? it is this wretched tyranny, that ruins our peace. It is like an incu- 
bus upon the poor suffering youth. "The Church cannot prosper, while this Achan 
is in the camp. Do parents like to be under arbitrary government? Do they like 
So be under the absolute control of any? Are not all "men bcrn equally free?" — 
Arc they, in the first instance, doiiig unto t'.ieir children, as they would that other 
people shouli do unto them? When all men arc born equally free, what right 
have they to deprive them of their freedom, lor 21 yoars? — Arise in the majesty of 
your strength, gird 0!i your armor — cease not to "undoe the heavy burden" of pa- 
rental authority, until you "let the oppressed go free" — stay not your hand, until 
you "break every yoke." — If you meet opposition from parents, you may be sure 
tliat they are monjiers, tyrants' robbers — robbing their children, without their conr- 
eent, cf that freedom wherewith they were born. — I say, again come to the rescue; 
and r-!'.aeml)er. that whosoever holdeth back, will meet with a curse— nay, remem- 
ber, also, that he who Cometh, must come speedily — :nust como heartily, for "cursed 
is he that docth the work of the Lord deceitfully, and cursed is he that withholdetX 
his haud from shedding blood." '' 



(65) 

Under a speech, of which the above is hardly a synopsis, you can conceive of the 
excitement of the meeting. 

Under this excitement, resolutions are formed. The flame spreads. It is nour- 
ished by the tenderest sympathies of the heart. It becomes popular — The youth 
and the aged join to cherish the flame. Here and there, however, a few cool heads 
v/ill, now and then, venture to say, that it is the constitution of Heaven, that pa- 
rents should have the control of their children. They are immediately answered — 
It is blasphemy — Does God sanction tyranny, cruelty, and oppression ? It is again 
replied, that God commands children, as he does [douloi] slaves, to obey. It ia 
answered--Trup, and so do we at present, and never intended otherwise ; but, i- 
it, from this fact, to be inferred, that God sanctions a situation, where a being cre- 
ated in his own image, shall not, for 91 years of the most mtcresting part of his 
life, have the privilege of a trial, appeal, or redress ?— With such arguments, is the 
objector put down, and his name cast out as evil. 

Suppose that this state of fcchng should exist for more than a century, until it 

had obtained the written sanction of many of the aged, the great, and the good. 

Suppose, for its support, societies were nniltiplied— Suppose an American bocietv 
was formed, for the express purpose of abolishing parental auihority, to which t^'e 
others were auxiliary. Suppose, that, at first, tlu s.: yocu-lies aim.'d only at sraJua!- 
ly emancipatmg children from the control of their parents— going on with an in- 
sinuating progress, until many of the parents that had children, were, some half 
and some wholly persuaded, that it was, in itself sinful, to control their children.--^ 
Still from the knowledge they had of their children, they could see, that to send 
them adrift into the world, would ruin them; and, not to send them away, or free 
thorn, was a very great sin. 

Suppose, now, that a legion of Monks, as numerous as Gog and Magoo-, who 
never had, never expected to have, and owing, perhaps, to sonie'physical necessity 
never could have children, were to march forth in tlie entcrprize of doino- away pa- 
renta authority— Suppose they had got enlisted, in the enterprisJ, editors and pa- 
pers bearing the name of religious— Suppose that they had acfjuired such weight 
Ol influence, among all religious editors, that if they did not publish'for thorn, thcv 
would occupy neutral ground— Suppose they had gotten editors, indeed all relio-ous 
editors, in the United States, to occupy with them the one common crround or max- 
im, that parental authority, was sinful, and ouaht to be abolished : but some of 
them difienng, simply, as to the mode of doing it away, 

Su])posa, now, they could prcvai! on Presbyteries, Conferences, Associatior.^ and 
General Assemblies, on the same maxim, to pass resolutions, to exclude, as speedi- 
ly as might be prudent, the crying sin of parental authority from the bosom of the 
Church.— Suppose, also, they should call on the councils of the nation, by petition 
alter petition, to abolish it in the District where the council sat. 

Suppose, withal they should send a host of young preachers, into whose mindj 
I hey had infused their principles, among people or parents, who had children under 
their absolute control ; and these young preachcis would happen to find it very 
convenient to have children under their own controul also ; not, however, without 
a great deal of wriggling, and twisting, and turning, and compromising with 
their conscience, on the subject-Sometimes braving the clamois of conscTencc— 
Sometimes compromising witli it— Sometimes pleading necessity for the insults— 
^>ornetimes, while conscience would tell them, that they were cxercisin- parental 
autliority whether it was done by themselves, or bv the overseers they pfaced ov-r 
their children, they would commence, and come down on conscience, with fine =pui. 
threads of metaphysics, putting them like cob-webs, over his eyes, and stuffin^o- bin 
mouth untd he could be prevailed upon to depart, but not in peace, nor half satis' 
hed. Alter ahttle pause, till he had rubbed the metaphysical film from his eve- 
and unstopped his mouth, he would return, and say, "He that sinneth is of tl.'J 
Devil '- 'Thou art the man"-Thou knowest, that thou art daily in the practice of 
that which 15 in Itself sinful.-Thus, he is tormented by day and by night. He 



(66) 

prajs then, most heartily, and lulls conscience, but clings to ein. Still he will not 
consent to send his children adrift. 

Leaving these — wiio are identified with the community of parents, but who, nev- 
ertheless, by their whining, lugubrious ditties, over the sinfulness of parental au- 
tliOfity, are troubling their own and the minds of other parents; and children, 
catching the epirit, begin to be restive — they proceed to send out those true to the 
faith. They circulate their pamphlets, and preach their doctrines, regardless 
whether children hear them or not. And why should they be afraid to preach the 
truth before children? "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel unto every 
creatiire." Why not preach it to children ? Are not all parents who do not send 
their children adrift, thieves, robbers, tyrants, monsters, oppressors, and sinners, be- 
cause they do not emancipate their children ? 

In this situation parents become restless, and children are catching the flame. — 
They are becoming more and more disobedient. The reins of government have to 
he tight.*^ned — A more absolute control has to be used — oftentimes severe correc- 
tions. Vv'e, and our whole legion, arc more and more at work. We send spie.'i 
Jimong tlic unsuspecting parents. They bring, or send us statistic.^, not of the in- 
subordination and rebellion of children, caused by our doctrines, but of the cruel- 
ties of parents — some trao, and some untrue. Wc publish those accounts, and 
send them among the parents, hoping that the children, will, by some means, get 
hold of them. 

Suppose, now, that parents saw, what, unless mentally blind, they could not help 
.seeing, that their cliildrea would be rninsd, for time and eternity, if thoy had accesa 
to our publications and imbibed our :;ospel, as it was calculated to close and forever 
hur the door of usefulness, against parents. It is not surprising, then, if ther 
should meet and consult what must be done, in the present crisis. The conclusion 
is, to refer the subject to men chosen by themselves, who, they believed, had tii?i 
;^pirit of wisdom and prudence. 

These meet, and they take the subject seriously and solemnly into consideration. 
On the one hand, they perceive, that if their cliildren had access to our doctrines, 
they were ruined forever — to let them have access to them was unavoidable, if they 
tuugb.t thein to read. To prevent their being taught to read, was cruel, and would 
prevent them from obtaining as much knowledge of the laws of heaven, as other- 
v.'i.se thuy might enjoy. In this sad dilema, sitting and consulting, in a legislative^ 
capcicity, they must, of two evils, choose the least. With indignant feelings to- 
wards us, who, under the influence of "seducing spirits," had sent, and were send- 
ing among tliein "doctrines of devils," but with aching hearts towards their chil- 
<lren, they resolved that tlieir children should not be taught, to read, until the sionii 
.should be overblown ; hoping that Satan's being let loose, will be but for a little 
season. And during this season, they will have to teach them orally, and thereby 
^uard against their being contaminated by our wicked doctrines. 

Suppose, now, on learning tliat such preventive laws had been passed, that 
v.-c, still filled with the incurable conceit, that v.-e, who had no children, knew bcl- 
X:.r than their own parents, v, hat regulations to make for the advantage, honor, and 
happiness of children and parents; and, withal, conceited with a notion, cfpially 
incurable, that we loved other people's children, better than their own parents 
loved them. Now, if we could prevail on Pre.=?hytcrie?, (as I have supposed above,) 
composed of such Monks as ourselves, to conceit that parents could havo no high- 
er nor better motive, in the passage of the preventive laws, than the v.anton pur- 
pose of fostering ignorance, it would not then be difilcuit to prevail on tliese same 
Prcsbyteric--, so constituted, to pasi?, however ridiculous, tiie two following reso- 
lutions, viz: 

6. Resolved, That when a parent advertises a reward for his child that ha? run- 
away from him, agauiPt whom no other crime is alleged than escaping ffom his /o- 
tker, he [the father] "is guilty of a scandalous sin, and forfeits his right to the scal- 
mff ordinances of God's house." 



(67) 

7. Resolved, That to apprehend a child, M-bo is endeavoring to escape from sub- 
jection to hi3 father, with a view to restore him to his parents, "is a direct violation 
of the Divme Law ; and when committed by a member of the Church ou£hl to 
subject him to censure." ' ^ 

Suppose, then, that, besides adopting it ours-clvcs, wo should recommend to 
Presbyteries, composed of fathers, whose legislative wisdom had adopted the pre- 
ventive laws, to adopt, most prayerfully the following resolution, \i% : 

8. Resolved, "That any member of the Church, who shall advocate or speak 
in favor of such laws as have been, or may yet be enacted, for the purpose of keep- 
ing their children in ignorance, and preventing Oiem from reading the word of God 
IS gmlty of a great sin, and ought to be dealt with as for other scandalous 
crimes." 

Is it now probable that the parents, who knew their own motives, and who ftlt 
that they were most painfully, and reluctantly driven, by us, to the direful necessity 
ot passing the preventive laws mentioned, would new consent most prayerfully, to 
pass a resolution, ascribing to themselves motives of the basest kind merely be- 
cause a Monkish sett, the authors of all their troubles, and the fruitful source of 
all their own, and the calamities of their children, seemed to be sincerely persuaded 
that parental authority was a curse, and that to remove it, the "resources of Om- 
nipotence would be called to aid." To calmly calculate that parents, whom we 
consider to be thieves, robbers, and monsters, will hope, that the proposed resolu- 
tions for their adopUon, is short of adding insult to injury, is calmly to calculate, 
that theives robbers, aud monsters— nay, scandalous sinners, have that perfection 
•f,, "^^i! endureth all things, is not easily provoked, and thinketh no 

f,^''V. , ^¥^^ parents cannot comprehend, how these Monks exercise that charity 
whicji rejoices not m iniquity, but rejoices in the truth," when we call on them, as 
in the last resolution to resolve a lie. For the 8th resolution recognizes no other 
motive lor passmg the preventive laws, but a sheer wanton love of ilnorancc of the 
word of God, "- 

Should it be insinuated, that the Legislatures of Mississippi and Louisiana, cna.'t- 
ed laws to foster ignorance or to keep any human being ignorant of the word of 
-aod, I, who have lived in these States upwards of thirty years, would risk nothins 
in unhesitatingly pronouncing it a base slander. 

These Legislatures, however, in vievv- of the "WEEPING AND WAILINfJ 
AND GNASHING OF TEETH," of no.ihem abolitionists, a^id in view of the 
anh-scriplural doctrines, which they were publishing and circulating, with a jral 
worthy of a bettor cause, have enacted laws, with heavy penal sanations, for the 
purpose, not as bj.sely represented, for keeping the slaves in i-norance of the 
word ot God, but tor keeping them ignorant o^ anti-scriptural doctrines— DocUine':, 
wbic.i however dressed and decorated with the garb of ecclesiastical sanctitv, and 
plausible, but spuuous sympathy, arc, nevertheless, like the blastin- mildew, 
withering and blighting every growing and flourishing vine, in our bolovoi 

The same motives, whicli would lead the Chillicothe Presbytery to pass lawP, to 
ward oft, l)y i-norancc, from the chaste and stairdess females committed to their 
pastora care, the dchling influence of Godwin's Rights of Women, have led the 
Legislatures ol the Southern States, as faithful pastors, to adopt preventive meas- 
ures to ward ofi the kindred and no less deleterious oflccts of abolition and eman- 
cipating doctrines. I say, abolition and emancipating— for, as Dr. Proudfit, Sec- 
retary ot the New York Colonization Society, very justly remarks, "they arc one 
m object," differing, merely, m the mode of accomplishing that object. 

.ibolitimists are aiming, with one swoop, to destroy their prey, while ^ma,icipators 
more insinuatmc-, prefer to cut its throat gradually. The object of nciiher tmanci. 
pators nor abolitionists, is to make the masters better, by gettin-r the Go'^pel to 
to bear upon them, and thus ameliorate tlic condition of slave?, likf Christ and his 



(68) 

Apostles, but to run beyond them, and, if possible double distance them, on tlie 
field of christian improvement. 

As a Presbyterian minister, I have another, and a very important objection, to 
your 8th resolutioji. It is, in my estimation, as anti-Presbyterian, as your maxim is 
anti-script^iral. 

From the words of the resolution itself, it is not easy to see its political bearing ; 
but when taken, and placed in juxta-position, with the remarks of your Presby- 
tery, on our political relations, in the latter part of your letter, and your two suppo- 
sitions, made as explanatory of your views, it is clear, that you intend to hold forth 
the idea, that the constitutions and laws of the southern States, which admit of the 
existence of slavery, arc anti-scriptural, and notoriously wicked: for you irfake the 
supposition, of government protecting, by law, the grossest idolatry, &c.; and that 
southern ministers and christians, are not bound to respect them. 

It is a very just remark, in your letter, that "slavery is involved in our political 
relations," meaning cither the south, or the whole of the United States. The guar- 
antee of the right which a master has to his slave, as his property, is made and se- 
cured to him, not by ecclesiastical, but by political bodies. The latter bodies, alone, 
have the power, and it is in their province, alone, to interfere, or meddle with that 

Ecclesiastical and political bodies, are recognized, by the excellent constitution of 
the Presbyterian Church, in the United States, as two distinct bodies, each opera- 
ting within its own sphere, attending to all the business falling naturally within 
their respective limits. It is a rule, recognized by our constitution, that it is disor- 
derly to be "busy bodies in other men's matters" — equally applicable to civil and 
religious bodies, as to private individuals. Civil bodies are of this wojld — that is, 
it is tiieir province, to make regulations for the different relations of this world. It 
is the province of ecclesiastical bodies, to atterid to Christ's kingdom, which is not 
of tins world — TO carry out the regulations, Christ has prepared to their hand. Ir» 
a word, to render to Caesar the tilings which are Caesar's, and to God the things 
that arc God's. 

Presbyteries, Synods, and General Assemblies, are ecclesiastical bodies in the 
Presbyterian Church, As slavery is a civil relation, I lay it down as a position, 
That an interference or intermeddling with thai relation, by any of those bodies, ix 
a sin against Presbyterianism. Having taken the aftirmative, the burderi of proof 
then, falls on me. 

I will not slirink from the task, by requiring you to prove the negative. This 
would be as unfair, as it would be for you, who would lay down tlie position that 
slavery is a sin, to require me to prove tlie negative, or that slavery is not a sin. 

I will make one more remark, and then seize the oar. It is this : that I will not 
rest my proof on what different Assemblies, Synods, or Presbyteries have done, nor 
on the authority of greot names, nor on the philosophy of the subject; nor on in« 
ferenccs drawn from the reasonableness, or unreasonableness of it. If I were 
obliged to filtrate the truth of iny position from such sources, I should be as back- 
ward to say, that intermeddling with slavery, by ecclesiastical bodies, is a sin against 
Presbyterianism, as I think you ought to be, to say tliat slavery is a sin, when you 
have to filter it from the general law of doing unto others as v.'e would that they 
.should do unto us, in such a manner as to require more ingenuity than has fallen to 
your lot, or the let of Young men in Kentucky, to keep from reproaching the con- 
duct of Christ and his Apostles. 

Now to the oar — and it is not a laboring one. I nce^ only quote the XXXI 
chapter of the Confession, of Faith of our Church, 4th section — viz : — "Synods 
and Councils are to handle or conclude nothins; but that lohich is ecclesiastical ; and 
are NOT TO INTERMEDDLE WITH CIVIL AFFAIRS, WHICH CON- 
CERN THE COMMONWEALTH, unless by lo ay of humble petition, in cases 
extraordinary, or by way of advice foi satisfaction of conscience, if they be there- 
unto rtquircd by the civil magistrate." 



( 69 ) 

1*0 evade this, there is no dodging — unless you claim slavery as an ecclesiastical 
affair. This I do not suppose you are willing to do, as you conceive it to be so 
very filthy a thing. Then slavery is, in the language of the constitution of the Pres- 
byterian Church, a civil affair, with which Synods and Councils are not to inter- 
meddle. Thus, according to my position, intermeddling with slavery, by Pres- 
byteries, (being Councils,) is a sin against Presbyterianism. "Cluod erat demon- 
strandum." 

Tiius you see, that the constitution of the Church, to which you and I belong, 
debars us as Presbyteries, from interference with the subject. It is not, therefore, 
probable, that, in the absence of other difficulties, the Amite Presbytery will con- 
sent to pass your resolution — unless they forget that each of them, at their licence 
and ordination, with the solemnity of an oath, have "sincerclj received and adopted 
the Confession of Faith, as containing the system of doctrine taught ih the Holy 
Scriptures," which it is not probable they will. 

After all that I have quoted, from the constitution of the Church, you will, per- 
haps, quote to me the decision of the General Assembly of 1818, to establish both 
the sinfulness of slavery, and the constitutionality of interfering with it. But you 
ought not, unless you give the acts of the Assembly the precedence of the constitu- 
tion. The section of the constitution, immediately preceding the one I have quo- 
ted, authorises the calling in question, the correctness of the Assembly's decision. 
The section is as follows : 

"ALL Synods and Councils, since the Apostle's time, whether general or partic- 
ular, may err, and many have erred; therefore, they are n»t to be made the rule of 
faith or practice, but to be used as a help in both." Besides, chapter I, section 4, 
prohibits, from any quarter, an addition to the "counsel of God," as a church regu- 
lation, unless that addition "may be deduced from scripture, by good and neces- 
sary consequence." 

Now, if the General Assembly of 1818, by "good and necessary consequence/'' 
in the face of all the scriptures I have produced, and of many more, can deduce the 
sinfulness of slavery, and can deduce, "as a good and necessary consequence," 
from the 4t.h section of the XXXI chapter of tlie constitution, which I have quoted, 
that their interference with slavery, (a "civil affair,") is constitutional. Then, you 
must permit me, respectfully, to suggest an amendment to the 3d section of th-^ 
XXXI chapter of Ihe constitution, that it may read thus: — "All Synods or Coun- 
cils, since the Apostle's time, whether general or particular, may not err, and nevtr 
'have erred ; therefore, they are to be made the rule of faith and practice, and not 
to be used only as a help in both." I would suggest also, a similar alteration to ho 
made, on the XX chapter, section 2d : — "God alone is Lord of the conscience, and 
hath left it /ree/rom the doctrines and commandi^ients of men, vvhich are in any thing 
contrary to his word, or beside it, in matters of practice or worship," 



SECTION XI. 



I have now finished my'revicw of your letter j and I am persuaded, that even 
your whole Presbytery will yield, 

1. That thfi sinfulness of slavery, in the absence of scripture testimony, is not a 
matter of belief, but simply a matter of opinion, which is not predicated on testi- 
mony, but upon the higher probabilities, from the word of God. 

2. That the higher probabilities, as presented in this review, arc more against, 
than in favor of your maxim, 



(70) 

3, That, as your maxim 13 an affirmative one, instead of calling upon slavehold- 
ers, to prove the negative, you are bound, so far as the subject is an important one, 
to prove, from direct scripture testimony, or, in the absence of this, from tht 
higher probabilities, predicated upon the Holy Scriptures, that slavery is a 
sin. And, 

4. That, on failing to comply with the third, you are, at least, bound to pause ; 
and, lest you be found fighting against God, to consider, whether, either the imme- 
diate or gradual emancipation of slaves, is the legitimate and Apostolic course to 
be pursued to ameliorate their condition ; especially, as there is, happily, as I trust, 
between northern and southern christians, a perfect and entire union, on one point, 
viz: — the removal of the evils incident, not only to slavery, but to all the relations 
of life. 

That it is important to put the truth of the abolition maxim to the scriptural test, 
will appear evident, from the fact, that it lies at the foundation, and constitutes the 
main and only pillar, of the whole abolition fabric. To shew that this is the fact, 
permit mc to introduce a quotation, from the book of the present acknowledged, 
intellectual generalisimo and commander in chief, of the abolition army, in th<- 
United States — viz : — "In order to judge of the fitness of the objects contemplated 
by the [American Anti-slavery] society, we must first inquire into the soundness 
of the principles by which they are recommended," (Objects and principles are 
italicised by himself.) "The first great principle of the society, and, indeed, the one 
from which all the others are deduced, is the SIJ^FULJ^ESS OF SL.iVERY.y* 

I am truly astonished that so great a man as Judge Jay, and such great "V oung 
»nen as are in Kentucky, should, instead of applying to the scriptures, to prove the 
soundness of the maxim, labor to prove, that, because evils are incident to slavery, 
tlierefore slavery is sin. If tliis is a legitimate mode of reasoning, who could fail to 
prove, that "forbidding to marry," was a doctrine of God, instead of being, as the 
Apostle iays, a "doctrine of devils." 

Who that has been much in the world, and witnessed the moroseness, bitterness, 
turbulance, tyranny, crossness, asperity, and ill nature of husbands, but could col- 
lect a statistical account, without magnifying:, of the evils which wives are obliged 
to sufier, without trial or redress, and hindered by the customs of society, from the 
poor privilege of even complaining of their wrongs — that would wring tears from 
almost a heart of stone ? — Are we then to conclude, that matrimony is a sin, because 
itis abus-ed by such monsters? Nay, are all those who do not arrive at, nor admit, 
the legitimacy of such a conclusion, to be marked as unfeeling advocates of cruelty, 
and blasphemy ? 

The evils of matrimony, consist not in the relation of husband and wife, but in 
the neglect of the duties suspended on the relation, and in overt acts against the 
relation— So also of the relation of parent and child. We never think of destroy- 
ing, or abolishing a relation, for which the scriptures have made express provision, 
by clear and palpable ragulatioas, in order to free the world from the evils, incident 
to that relation. 

Although the Romans were, such as Paul described them to be, "without natural 
afrection,impiacable,unmcrcifu],"and although children frequently suffered such cruel- 
ties as parents would inflict, who were void of natural affection, implacable, un- 
merciful — and although husbands wore "wicked, deceitful, despiteful^ proud, cove- 
nant breakers," and wives subject to the cruelties of such tempers, yet, iwither 
Christ nor his Apostles, thought fit to prescribe abolition, as a legitimate course, to 
remove those evils. Indeed, the Apostle Paul, aware of the seducivc arguments 
that would be used in favor of rbolition — Arguments addressed to the sympathieB 
of christians, pointing to the wretched condition of females, who were controled 



*See Judge Jay^s Inquiry, page 128. 



(71) 

and wantonly abused by their tjrannical, deceitful, despiteful huebanda-Awaro 
u;^^'«? . Tv f'''''^''',\ T°"'^ '"'=^"<^^" ^"^'^ arguments, warns them soltm"? 
that «forb.cld,ng to marry,' however plausible and seducive, was, nevertheless a 
doctnneo: the Dev.I. So ,n like manner, although slavery, araon<. the Romans 
wa. marked as has been shewn, with the most unparaUeled^crueltiel, and altCgh 
States \r. °^,f "^^7 --^^-^ ^^'^"ly '^^"r to where there is now one in the uS 
btates, and, although the masters were, such as Paul describes, yet, abolition or 

e~PSe'rr' " '" ''''"'''" "' ""'"''' "' '" ""^^'''^^ ^° ^'' ^'^ ^" ^^ 

othpr 't^^f'^?'^]"'*"'^^ %^*!.''.i" '"'^ ^^^' '"'^''" ^y ^'^^ ^^'■^ °^ Gfod. I can admit no 
the ONLY ?Jf^llfl>r.' , 'r^'r' ■", '°",'"°" ^'^^^ ""^^ ^enume Presbyterians, that it is 
at « «^ > r " ' °*^'^"^'' ^"^ P'^^^'^^* ^f I ^'^^'^ convinced, by that word, 
tha slavery itself is a sm, I trust, that, let it cost what it would, I should be an 
abolitionist ; because, there is no truth more clear to my mind, than that the Gosnc 
requires an im.ned.ate abandonment of sin. "This night thy' soul may be required 

ftn th wofl"l 'h" 'V"/'' 'T""'^^ ^^"^^"^-^ «f ^''« ^^-P^'' 'o a'bolishE. 
l\tVn ^ ' T'!^ '^'^''""'^ ^^ '^ "'"' '^ *^ P'-^"" ""J Clear to ray mind, that to 

abohsn slavery, is the legitimate tendency of the Gospel 

m^ h°l? f n' l'''':'.'''^''t ^ 'T' ^'''■"' '" '•"' ^«^^' yo" P«r<=^ive, that it is neither 

and child. I do not, however, mean that the two relations are precisely aiirvc anv 

"ss: V in or;i^'"^ °' '"'f "^' "'? "''^- "-^ P^^--^y '-^^ -'her l{ is nol ne^ 
Ittr^Kf" ^1 " •"" analagcus, that things should be precisely diko. Christ 
dpf tTp f ^- r*^ "T' '?^ ?"';" ^''^ ^'' ^^'^l'^^^" ^--^ compared to sheep. Their 
del-ace is.ntheir shepherd-theyare innocent and moffendmg; so far thev arc 
a .ke-but his children are not quadrupeds, neither are ihey cov'e ed vL woof- 
T hey are not;.rec.../^ like sheep. Children and servants a/e alike, in beina provi^ 

bu? nnmo in"^ " h'' "'" *=°"'''°'' "^'^ ^'^^^'"^ the regard of the s'ame TdT^^dua ; 
but unlike, m one being emancipated at the ace of t^ventv one and tiio oth^r 
not at ail-unUke.also,in the quantum of regard afd coSnguinity.&ct ° ' 

If I believed, or was of opinion, that it was the legitimate tendency of the Gosnel 
to abolish slavery how would I approach a man, possessing as many slaves^aB 
Abrahau. had, and tell hm. I wished to obtain hi? permisa^n to prelch lo his 

Suppose the man to be ignorant of the Gospel, and that he would inquire of me 
what was my object? I would tell him candidly, (and every niintter^ou'hf to be 
candid) that I wished to preach the Gospel, because its leo/timae tendency is t^ 
rnake his slaves honest, trusty, and faithful ;' not serving ''vTith eye service as men 
ploasers ' "not purlommg, but shewing all good fidelity." And^s '^7^ w3 
a.«k really the tendency of the Gospel ? I u^uld answer, ves. Then I mt t ex 

Z'^To\?Zu''''r''^ ? '^°"f "' ^'^?^' '' '^^ believed'me, would not out per- 
mit ire to preach to his slaves, but would do more. Pie would be wiilina to build 
me a house furnish me a garden, and ample provision for a support. Because, le 
Wd conclude, vcrUy, that this preacher would be worth more to him, than a 

th^ h';S"en"cvof theT'"^'/ '''^"' ^' T°"'' ^^" -^' ''^''' ^^ '^»^ und^rsrood 
•a the fact S • tins 1.^^'^"'"-;;^"'^"''^^^ ^'^^^^y' ^"^ ^"1"*^« "'' "^^ '»' ^hat 
SUI fu !", it ■ r '"^' ^^"^ h"" "0^^ cornered me. What shall I say '' 

1.: ^ ' il^" ^ ''•"'^"f !l man, twist and dodge, and shirt and (urn, to evade an L 
s cr ? iNo I must, Kentuck.an like, come out, hroad tint footed, and tc'l him that 
ablU^on u the tendency of the Gospel. AVbat an; I now to ^aleukte upon 7 "'have 
to Id ho man tnat . is the tendency of the Gospel, to make him so pookas to oblige 
n to take hold of the maul and wedge hiniself-he must catch, curry and sad! 

boots,-ai3 ^Mf.■ must go, hcrsell, to the wash tub-take hold of the scrubbin- 
br.on., wash the pots and cook, all that she and her rail mauler will eat ''"''''^'"° 



(72) 

auery Is it to be expected, that a master, ignorant heretofore, of the tendency 
of the Gospel, would fall so desperately in love with it, from a knowledge of its 
icndency, that he would encourage the preaching of it among his slaves? Ver- 

' ^But suppose when he put the last question to mc, as to its tendency, I could, 
and xvould, without a twist or quihble, tell him, plaiiily and candidly, that it was a 
slander on the Gospel, to say, that emancipation or abolition, was its legitimate 
tendency. I would tell him, that the commandments of some men, and not the 
commandments of God, made slavery a sin ; and from this was deduced, legiti- 
mately, that it was the tendency of such commandments, to produce emancipation 
and abolition. And I would tell him, in the mean time, that Jesus Christ eays— 
"In vain do ye worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. — 
I would tell him farther, that such was the tendency of the Gospel, on slaves, that, 
instead of producing discontentment with their own condition, and serving their 
master t^rudgingly, they would, so fat as they were influenced by Gosgcl principles, 
be contTnt, care nothing for slavery, feel willing to "coniii their oion mailers loorthy 
of all hon:.r,-'' and would do cdl their services "heartily, as unto the Loid,mvi not 
unto men." I would tell him, that it was possible, and not at all improbable, that 
such Ecod conduct, on the part of many of his slaves, might gain so much on his 
love rrd esteem, as cheerfully and freely to emancipate them, z/ he thought it loas 
doing them a reciprocal good q^ce— and that in so doing, he was not at all at vari- 
ance with gospel principles. But, that if he apprehended, that emancipatjca, in- 
stead of ameliorating the condition of any one of his slaves, would injure him, the 
Gospel condemned his ccnduct, as much as if he emancipated his son, at ten or 
twelve years of age, and sent him adrift into the world, without a guardian, and ui 

full possession of his legacy. , ^-r rr, . ^ . ««^. 

Doulosand oiketes, are the Greek terms, used in the New Testament, to express 
tiie condition of the Roman slaves, whether their term of service was limited or un- 
limited. Doulos is the term used, when there is a contrast made, by the Apostls 
Paul, between bond and free. Doulos is also the term used to designate the ser- 
vant of God and Christ. In a word, it is the term used to convey the idea of one 
bound to comply, whether willingly or unwillingly, with the expressed will of an- 
other." What is slavery, but this obligation of the slave to obey the dictum of his 

"''\1\ indeed, or is it only imaginary, that implicit obedience to the dictates of 
another, is anti-scriptural, and irrespective of the character of a master? It ap- 
pears to me, that the whole of the present mama, of abolition and emancipaaon. 
both in Europe and America, is predicated upon this tacitly assumed maxim. Inde- 
pendently, of whether the master be good or bad, whether a wise master or a fool, the 
power or authority must be abolished. _ > .. u * „-„«c ;♦ 

^ Independence is a charming idea, especially to Americans ; but what gives it 
the charm? Is it the thing in itself? or is it because it is a release from the con- 
trol of a had master? Had Great Britain been a kind master, our ancestors wore 
willing to remain her slaves. It was, then, the conduct of the master, tha ^•'|^' 
objected to. and not the bondage itself, or the mastery. Petition after petition, 
humbly supplicating the master, to change from bad to good, were sent, express- 
n . of perfVct willingness to be the slaves of a good master ; but not these, nor anv 
thing else, could be brought to bear on the mind or conduct of the master. Wence 
the rrvolutlon and independence of the United States. . , , i • „ 

What reconciles us to be, as Paul says, "douloi of Chnst." but because he is a 
«ood master' Who objects to be his slave, on the ground that freedom from hia 
commands, or the charming thing of independence, is better? It is very question- 
able, whether even those who refuse to serve him, are actuated, from the charn of 
freedom, to remain runaways from him, so much, as from an idea, of his je mg 
a bad master-«'reaping where he did not sow, and g^^^ermg where he did not 
strew " He is viewed, by runaways, as a master the prominent feature ©t ^^ho?e 



(73) 



character 13 to take peculiar pleasure in evedropping it upon liis doulos and trcns 
unng up every fault ; not plots of insurrection and rebellion, merely, but even ev 
ery inadvertent expression, and every foolish thought: always eratitled when he 
can get bold of somethnig, as an excuse to punish them. But when the spirit bv 
the w-ord, (which is his sword,) captures a runaway doulos, and he learns that fe- 
stead of lac master being such an one as he imagined, "he is the fairest anion- ten 
thousand, and the one altogether, lovely" in every trait of his character, the chann of 
freedom and independence is dropped-he is dead to the enjoyment of such fre - 
dom-To know the living and true God, and Jesus Christ, his rialut^.l Lord and 
liiaster, IS life eternal; and, whatever the idea of bondage in s^rvmo-amtte ■ 
may be to others, to him it is perfect freedom. = ' ' 

^.i^*; fo^^s '"s master's commandments— he loves to hear him well spoken of— h- 
delights to hear him talk, and he even loves any one, whom he hapnens to see 
wearing the hvery of his master's doulos. nappen. to sec, 

It appears to me, that instead of abolition, the object of the Gospel is to iml n^ 
the master, with so much of the spirit of his own master, who ^ i Uielven at i! 
may m truth and reality be said of him, as was said of L master in old Se-'' 

^nd'I-h "\''n V^' "■ '^ •^^"'"^^"^ '''^ ^'"l-^'-^" ^"" I^IS HOUSEHOLD after him 
and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment '' 

It appears, also, to me, that the Gospel dispensation need not^despair of makino- 
Zo^rrofir "f ?^^ ^'"^^l-'-^^tion made' them, and thus supercede tLeTec X 
.>ity of a resort to abolition. I have lived long tnoucrh to see the fields in tC. 
southern country ripening for harvest, and promisfng an abundan erop, o tempor^ 

nkntifn .". ''™^""'' f"/,^' ^'''^^" '-^"^ his master. But the hope of s^ spccZand 
plentiful a crop, is much blasted, by the breath of northern abolition. ^ ^ 

do ir t',^T7 '' ''"^ f° '°"'"''-' *° >'0"' "^^ tJ^« ^^hole Church, and I herebv 

in i ' t^°"''-'°"''''' V'^' ^^Sard to slavery, is more open, bold, and brave anf 
n my est .nation, much more scriptural, than the course recommended bv' 

You both admit, that slavery is in itself sinful Vr>, n^n «k„. r r 
pnjmise with sin-,., will neL adi^illh: pS' of^^^St/t t^i^;;:^ 
Fo« .. . ., on the immediate departure of the demon, if it should even S a herd 
of svm. oown a steep place. I admire your openness, boldness, and candor-- ti. 
such a. u.comes watchmen on Zion's walls. I giye in to your tadt nnSn ? 

or i^^ ;''r"sr? '^^ ^^ ''^^'' "°^ ^^ '^^•'"s- ^ ^« j-'^^-^mSrs r 

wa. vl 1' " '""*'""'' """'""' ""^''' '" ^"^ providence of God, the door 

was "hen the consequences of forsaking- sin could be t^voided 

than ■ 'li'!!' '^"'^''.tf quii-cs more moral vision, and intellectual comprehension 
than lien to my lot, to understand how slavery, which is in itself S!)' 

lose ..equalities by a fixed purpose, on the /art of the inner tS w II 

uan .; t r.:"'ssi;?of ?e f ''") p^t^^'t"- '''"'''' ''-' ^-- ^ -'i - 

scrii^ 4 o d Hhfn! V , Y\''f ^""^^ ^^ '' "°* ^^"'y Scripiurc, but the 

IS i^ rWlTuTolum^^^^^ true! that "HELL 

t^^js.,, to answer no betJ^^^ap^:-^^ 

p;^; ■ •■^afnij-o/t j^rirrs^ 

and pat,on, on so rotten a foundation, as the maxim wl idiso m.nv Hx-o 

Sow '. f •"''" ■''^^'" '"^""^^^ ^° '^^'^ "-'y ^^x-Pon^S and endeivor toba^tt r it 



(74) 



.^ on and prosper; bnngmg forth to the great ^?r^ « J . j with oach other's 
energies of both ^ prodigious infiuence. It is like the Ic-. 

,<»,»„; wUh„, the «P;,=3 S-i„ y ,S.t J^^^^^^^ a«a e„u,u>e 

tonlcriod on mon. 1-ut >'"«"'"S o"' »' ' ' . . ., j- j . ji betomca a curse, 
into lh= field or di»cu.s,on and bieakmg a lance '° <H™ J™ ,• ,^„ 1„,5 correcllj . 
Honcc ll,c most calm, cool, d,a,,.B»,onato able »"° """ "^\„„'„.ed. in legible 
,,a..d, tb^ njn^'t- »f^^^« °Sl ■ THe' WoS' At"mY -MOUTH, AND 
'^S^^^ rTf ^ME,.. a. *, I-- Pc^blo b.c.3.n. - an, peop,.- 

£;-JSX''Lt:»r5L3.ie,.p4^^ 

own spirit, and have seen ^othmg'-oxcovt^J^^^^^^^^^ ^ ^ , of 

nv to mal c the creature of their own ''"^f "'^J;^"" ^"'^^^'f^/^urle, >s-hich can be 
Z div.ne word-are the hc-.eat^jud^^^^^^^^ Tor^VUdable than Nero, 

inHictedon any people ^»^^y.°""= '3 understandings of God's heritage, by 
.du. wni lord it over the -nBC-nc- -f^^^jf^Soni it, of the doetrines ard 

^•^S^";S;e and .lumber continued whi^^^;f- -::LSK publ^^utS 
.t a distance, and d.d not feel myselt call d upon o jme be^o ^^,^ F^^ ^^^ 
So ChUUcothe letter was Bent ^"^and loud to me in ihe following note-E«^k. 
,T.d the trumpetseemto sound »°"g^"^^J;^toXme upon a landfand blow not 
xx,ua, 6. 7-"Butif th- watcl^nan^ee th^^ come and take any person 

£^^=:gtCinA::9rjmujuity^ 

- ^Ti^'-^^Tl^:^^ ='^e\vord at my mouth, and warn 

St:: ^Zt:;^'J^ r l3^K-y. and .corae. it, as you h.. 
>f\d in theproccdmg pages. . n= vmi nerceive, without attention 

"^-hTpartV tl.0 riord that ---^^.T^^iegaKe taste of the commun. 
to the graces of composition-not l^x^au'^e 1^^^^^^ .^ c^nvcment t^ 

,v. but because, in treatmg so '^P'^JJ"^ f, never r^'-V ^nateriah whether a serrant 
coTi<.ult my own ease-supposing that it '« ""^^ 'J ^ ^,11^ n in sHch a way 
tclU his message eloquently, provided he ^'^^' ^^^iJ'^^]^^^^ ,ome inav, perhaps. 



(76) 

beccAiIng," from an obscure man in the pine woods. Bat I do now assure such, 
that where I had any hesitation, I expressed it ; but where 1 had none, I had none 
to express. 

Having no reputation among writers, I had none to lose ; and if I had, I hac 
still more at stake, than reputation. Tfie truth of God was at stake, and I f^elt that 
his truth must be declared, not in hesitating and faultering words, wh.ch might in- 
duce a doubt whether I believed it myself, but in sueh a plain, "broad, flat footed" 
manner, as could leave no doubt of my conviction of the truth, on the mind ot 
any. 

It was not without design, that I placed the subject in such a variety of lights 
and attitudes, as no doubt yon have observed. I considered, and do still consider 
it a subject of the utmost importance, drawing after it consequences of the utmost 
magnitude. The present and eternal prospects of our households, together wilii 
the peace, prosperity, and union of our beloved country ; and, also, what ia incalcu- 
lably dear to me, the purity, peace, prosperity, and unity of our Churches. That 
the practical conclusions, to which the doctrines I advanced, in the preceding pa- 
ges, would be of the most sweeping kind to abolition and emancipation, I was ap- 
prehensive, would be 90 appaling to some, that they would stuggle against the prm- 
ciples, and thus turn aside from the word of truth. 

If I have introduced any principles, which may appear exceptionable to any, bt 
them examine the word of Qod, and if they prove, by that word, that they are not 
in accordance with it, so far from being grieved, I shall esteem such a production, 
the best evidence of christion friendship to mo, and a favor to the Church. A:-- I 
c,annot, I will not calculate on pleading youthful indiscretion, in my own bchali ; 
nor, for the same reason, will I plead any solicitijtion on the part of my bretlirin 
m tiie ministry, that I should write — should itbe'fomd that I have erred. "I have 
trodden the liste<l field," alone, on my own personal responsibility ; consequently, 
none other is to blame. 

Inasmuch, tlien, as the Review is mine, and must be mine, I giro my brethren ot 
the Chillicothe Presbytery, and my brethren of the whole world, fair notice, thar 
such is the peculiarity of my head and heart, that it is in vain to attack mo with any 
other weapon but the word of God ; for I have endeavored throu>^h life, "to he bul- 
let proof against any cannon of any culabrc, unless the bullet be a text of scrip- 
ture," supported by the context. 

If in the meantime, this Review which I send to the Chillicothe Frc?bytory, and 
to the world, "should oflend" any one of the children of my father's kingdom, i 
shall be grieved, as I feel conscious that it was not intended. To come at tho 
knowledge of the truth, and that alone, so lar as I know myself, has been my pur- 
pose. 

If, in the meantirne, thi? Review will have the desired rffect, to enlighten any i.f 
my brethren, or which is the same thing, to cause them to examine carefully lb'' 
word of God, on the subject of slavery f and if, besides leading to co-operation, m 
ameliorating the condition of slaves, it will tend to arrest the progress of error, and 
restore peace to our country— or, if it should have other beneticial efl''efp, to tlio 
public-, or private individuals, I can most sincerely adopt the following language — 
"Not unto US, O Lord ; not unto us, but unto thy name be the praise." If, bf sides 
revolutionizing the sentiments of the Chillirotiie PreslntPfj-, it should pro<luee a 
revolution m the views and sentiments of the groat, and the otherwise good of my 
■<^^ountry and Church, who at present differ with me, I shall be more than ever con- 
firmed in the truth of Paul's declaration to the Corinthian Church, chap, i, verses 
27, 2i, and 29— "But God hath chosen the loolish things of tlic world to coulound 



(76) 

tlic wise; ami God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the 
Ihinge that are mighty; and base things oi the world, and things that are despised, 
hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that 
are : That no llcsh might glory in his presence." — Amex. 

Not in form, but in deed and in truth, I reciprocate the excellent language in tlic 
<"losc of your letter: — "Praying that the Great Head of the Church, may, by His 
Spirit and His Word, guide you in his ewn right way," I remain, affectionatley, 

Yours, 

JAMES SMYLIE, 



APPENDIX. 



NOTE— A. 

A.dam Clarke, on Ephcsians vi, 5, says — "In heatlien countries, slavery was in 
-<mie sort excusable : among christians, it is an eiiormity and crime, for luhicli perdi- 
tion has scarcely an adequate state of punishment." 

In his note on Titus ii, 9, he says — "Exhort servants to be obedient. — Tiic Apos- 
tle refers to those who were slaves, and the property of their masters — even thess 
are exhorted to be obedient to tlieir own despots, thougl* they had no right ovrr 
them, on the ground of natural justice." 

In his note on I Tim. vi, 1, he says — "The word douloi here means slaves con- 
verted to the christian faith." — See, also, Gill, Scott, and MoKnight. 



NOTE— B. 

In the Doctrines and Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church, published 
1832, under the sanction of six Bishops, section X, pages 191 and 192, is tlic fal- 
lowing regulation on the subject of slavery, viz . 

"Clueslion. What shall be done for the exterpation of the evil of slavery? 

".^Rsioer. 1. V/e declare that wo are as much as ever convinced of the great 
evil of slavery : Therefore no slave holder, shall be eligible to any official station 
in our Church, hereafter, where the laws of the State in v.hich he lives, will admit 
of emancipation, and permit the liberated slave to enjoy freedbm. 

"2. When any travelling preacher becomes an owner of a slave or slaves, by 
any means, he shall forfeit his ministerial character in our Church, unless he exe- 
cute, if it be practicable, a legal emancipation of such slaves, conformably to the 
laws of the State in which he lives." 

It is presumable that the above regulation would cease to form a part of t!io Dis- 
cipline of the Methodist Church, if tiio southern section of the Church, in tlio 
Unit'-r' States, had the ascendency. It is at all events in the south a dead letter. 
And it is hoped that the time is not far distant, when the above regulations will be 
entirely expunged from the Discipline, as it is even now expunged from the south- 
ern practice. 

Shall no minister south of the Mason and Dixon line, ever be elected to the 
Bishop's office in the Methodist Church, unles? it is done by a flagrant violalion 
of the Oluirch Discipline? Shall the power of governing that Church, whicli, in 
the hand of God,, is the instrument of doing so much good, forever remain in the 
hands of men, whom the Apostle Paul expressly charges with being "proud igno- 
rant dutards"? — (I. Tim. vi4.) I hope not. I hope, sooner than submit to such 
antiscriptural regulations, that the southern section of the Church will follow the 
advice of Paul to Timothy, vi chapter, latter clause of the 5th verse— "from such 
withdraw thyself." 



(78) 
NOTE— C. 

In the Report ef the Committee of tho Synod of KcatUcky, of which Rev, ^ohh 
C Young was Secretary, there ib a laboring to sLew that slav6ry is a sin, and a 
plan proposed to abolish Blarery. The following statements are rhade in the Re- 
port, viz: 

"Now it is a notorious fact, that the Greek and Roman slavery was ae much 
more cruel than ours, as the treatment with which Rehoboam threatened his sub- 
jects, was more severe than that they had received from his father, &c, — There ^as 
no species of misery, which the system of Greek and Roman slavery did not inflict 
en its unhappy victims — Masters were permitted by the law," (besides other cruel- 
ties cDtimerated) "to throw their slaves into their fishponds, to give an epicurean 
flavor to the mullets and carp which they were fattening for their fensts." 

The Committee seem to make no distinction between slavery and the cruelties of 
masters — hence the following declaration written in capitals to make it doubly vm- 
phatical and certainly true, via — "The New Testament does condemn sUiveholdinsj 
as practised among us, in the most explicit terms furnished by the language in 
which the inspired penmen wrote." — How, I ask, is this bold declaration estabhshed ? 
Net by citing to us the passages of the Now Testament for proof, but by telling as, 
"If a physician, after a minuto examination, should tell a patient, that his every 
limb and organ was diseased — If he should enumerate the various parts of his 
bodily system, the arms, the legs, the head, the stomach, the bowels, &c., and 
should say of each of these parts distinctly, that it was unsound, could the maB 
then depart and say, after all I am not diseased, for the physician has not said, in 
cxprtii terms, that my' 6o(fj/ is diseased ? Thus has God condemned slavery, lit- 
has specified the parts which compose it, and denounced them, one by one, in the 
most ample and unequivocal form. The Greek language had a word correspond- 
ing exactly with our word servant, but it had none that answered precisely with our 
term slave. How, then, was an Apostle, writing in Greek, to condemn ovr slave- 
ry ? Could it be done in the way in which some seem to think it must be done, 
before they will be convinced of its sinfulness ? How can we expect to find iu 
scripture, the v;orde slavery is sinful ? when the language in which it is written, 
contained no term, which expressed the meaning of our word slavery ? Would the 
advocates of slavery wish us to shew, that the Apostles declare it to be unchristian 
to hold [douloij servants? This would have been denouncing as criminal, prac- 
tices far dificrent from slaveholding." "That slavery is sinful, is as certain, as 
that the light of God's truth has shown upon our world.'' "As a conclusion of all 
that has been advanced, wc assert it to be the unquestionable duty of every chris- 
tian, to use vigorous and immediate measures, for the destruction of tliis whole 
system, and for the removal of all its unhappy cfiects," 

In the above reasoning, the case of a diseased patient is introduced to prove th^ 
sinfulness of slavery, in the absence of scripture testimony. And the absence of 
."cripture testimony is accounted for, because there wos not a Greek word that 
would exactly and precisely, mark out slavery in Kentucky. The Evangelist Luke, 
however, used the Greek word niisthos to convey the idea of a hired servant, an'l 
the word doulos to designate the common slave. iStrango that the Apostles were 
unable to find the same word. Had the Greeks and Romans, and have the peo- 
ple of Kentucky, any servants but slaves or hired servants 7 

It is worthy of remark, that slavery is compared to a diseased patient, which 
must be killed to cure it! Is it legitimate to kill the patient to cure him ? If not, 
there is no force in the reasoning. The latter part of the quotation shews that tlm 
design ia to kill in order to cure the patient. If this be sound logic and good mor- 
als, then no one ought to censure Jonas' dear old wife, who was found choking her 
husband in a paroxism of phthisic ; for she declared he was discseed, and she was- 
h«Iping the Lord to kill him in order to cure him. 



( 79 ) 

The plan which the Committee propose to kill slavery— or, in other worde, thes 
plan proposed to purge the conscience of the ain ot" slavery, is to hold to the sin, 
until every slave under twenty, and those that may be born in that time arrives *t 
the 2oth year — And that deeds of emancipation, to take effect at the 25th yoar, 
be recorded in the respective courts — in th« mean time appending proper instruc- 
tion?. 

This shewi to what lame and wretched .shifts, the wisest and heat of men are 
reduced, when they give heed to the commandments of men, instead of plain scrip- 
ture. 



ERR ATTA. 



Pace 13 line 17 from b'ottom, instead of, Ezek. xiii, 23, read, Ezek. xiii, 3— 3^ 

Reeves', read Reese's. 
Ishmaelites, read Israelites, 
inend, read intend. 
Thereus', read Theseus'. - 
Lacedemonia, read Lacedemori. 
Bithymia, read Bithynia. 
Milford, read Mitford. 
ought, read oughtest. 
attest, read attests, 
farier, read farther, 
xi, read x. 

debating, read doating. 
becnse, read because, 
subsequent part of his epistle, read hsub 

sequent epistles, 
part, read past, 
belles, read bellies, 
pursue, read peruse, 
vocar, read vocarc. 
makes, read make, 
unwarrantable, read unanswerable, 
comma, period after Department, 
tliem, read then, 
sympathetetic, read sympathetic, 
menially blind, read pur blind. 
Is it, read is it so. 
omit and between anli-scriptural and irrespective. 



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• •• 



ERRATA. 

The following enota were not detected till the last 
Xonn was worked o^— viz t 

rAGE74uNE 13 frombott«m,for my men, read my 

pen. 
73 4 top, punish them, rea4 

punish him. 
7? 3 bottomj who I kncAv, reai 

wh*m I knew. 




























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